F.    PANCCAST. 


\C  !<w-  ! IV  Ur      I     V 


THE 


MYSTERY 


OF 


LOST  RIVER  CANYON 


BY 


HARRY  CASTLEMON\  p^ 

AUTHOR  OF  "  ROCKY  MOUNTAIN  SERIES,"  "  GUNBOAT 


PHILADELPHIA 
HENRY  T.  COATES  &  CO. 


COPYRIGHT,  1896, 

BY 
HENKY  T.  COATES  &  CO. 

LOAN  STACK 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

PROLOGUE, 5 

I.  GEORGE  AND  HIS  UNCLE,          .        .        .        .11 

II.  UNCLE  EUBEN  LEARNS  SOMETHING,         .        .      22 

III.  A  SURPRISE,      .        .        .        .        .        .        .34 

IV.  A  HOME  IN  THE  WOODS,          ....      46 
V.     A  CAPSIZE, 58 

VI.  DICK  LANGDON'S  SENTIMENTS,          ...      70 

VII.     A  PERSEVERING  DIVER, 81 

VIII.  UNCLE  KUBEN  CALLS  AGAIN,  ....      92 

IX.     LOST  IN  THE  WOODS, 10 1 

X.     THE  MASKED  KOBBERS, 116 

XL  AN  ANGRY  MISER,    .        .        .        .        .        .129 

XII.  A  VISIT   FROM  THE  SHERIFF,    .            .            .            .141 

XIII.  THE  TABLES  TURNED, 154 

XIV.  THE  UPSHOT  OF  THE  WHOLE  MATTER,  .        .166 
XV.     THE  RENDEZVOUS, 179 

XVI.  How  ONE  TELEGRAM  WAS  RECEIVED,     .        .     192 

XVII.     Two  NEW  CHARACTERS, L'03 

XVIII.  How  THE  OTHER  WAS  RECEIVED,    .        .        .215 

(iii) 


887 


IV  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

XIX.  BOB  HEARS  SOME  STARTLING  NEWS,     .        .  226 

XX.     A  MERITED  KEBUKE, 239 

XXI.  THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  CANYON,   .        .        .  251 

XXII.     THE  IDEA  SUGGESTED, 204 

XXIII.  OFF  FOR  CAMP, 276 

XXIV.  THE  TERRORS  OF  THE  CANYON,    .        .        .  288 
XXV.  SAM  ASKS  FOR  HIS  PAY,        ....  302 

XXVI.  ARTHUR  TRIES  TO  HELP  HIMSELF,       .         .315 

XXVII.  THE  LISTENER  IN  THE  GROVE,     .        .        .  328 

XXVIII.     A  HURRIED  FLIGHT, 340 

XXIX,  THE  MYSTERY  SOLVED,          ....  353 

XXX.     IN  THE  MOUNTAINS, 366 

XXXI.  "ALL'S  WELL  THAT  ENDS  WELL,"      .        .  376 


THE 


of  Lost  $W  damjon, 


PEOLOGUE. 

ONE  hot,  sultry  August  afternoon,  a  weary 
horse,  whose  heaving  sides  and  foam- 
flecked  breast  bore  evidence  to  the  fact  that 
he  had  been  driven  long  and  rapidly,  was 
reined  up  in  front  of  a  little  station  on  the 
Atchison,  Topeka  and  Santa  Fe  Railroad. 
His  rider — a  tall,  broad-shouldered,  full- 
bearded  man — -was  dressed  in  clothing  which 
seems  to  have  been  chosen  by  the  ranchmen 
of  the  country  of  which  we  write,  as  a  badge 
distinctive  of  their  calling — a  red  shirt,  wide- 
brimmed  hat,  corduroy  trousers  and  heavy 
top  boots, 

He  was  armed  and  equipped  as  the  law  of 
the  plains  directs — a  heavy  Winchester  rifle 

(5) 


6  THE  MYSTEEY  OF  LOST  RIVER  CANYON. 

being  slung  at  bis  back,  and  a  brace  of  navy 
revolvers  buckled  about  his  waist. 

Before  his  horse  had  fairly  come  to  a  stand- 
still, he  swung  himself  from  the  saddle, 
hurried  into  the  telegraph  office,  drew  a 
couple  of  blanks  toward  him,  and,  after  writ- 
ing a  hasty  dispatch  upon  each,  handed  them 
to  the  operator. 

The  latter  read  them  with  great  delibera- 
tion, counted  the  words  they  contained,  and 
no  one  would  have  imagined,  by  looking  at 
his  impassive  face,  that  he  had  made  himself 
master  of  a  piece  of  news  that  was  destined 
to  work  the  most  remarkable  changes  in  the 
lives  of  some  of  the  characters  who  are  to 
appear  in  our  story. 

Having  received  pay  for  the  dispatches, 
the  operator  seated  himself  at  his  instrument 
and  sent  them  off,  while  the  horseman  sprang 
into  his  saddle  and  rode  slowly  away. 

Let  us  go  with  these  telegrams  and  see 
where  they  went,  and  how  they  were  received 
by  those  to  whom  they  were  addressed. 
They  both  sped  over  the  same  wire  until 
they  reached  the  city  of  Chicago,  and  then  one 


PEOLOGUE.  7 

turned  off  and  made  its  way  to  the  little  town 
of  Bolton,  in  Indiana,  where  we  will  leave 
it  for  the  present,  while  we  follow  the  other, 
which  finally  reached  its  journey's  end  in  a 
thriving  village  in  one  of  our  Eastern  States. 

The  operator  at  the  latter  place,  when  he 
heard  his  "  call "  sounded,  seated  himself  at 
his  table  with  his  usual  nonchalance ;  but, 
before  he  had  written  half  a  dozen  words,  a 
surprised  and  grieved  expression  settled  on 
his  face,  and,  when  the  dispatch  had  been 
copied,  he  leaned  back  in  his  chair  arid  sighed 
deeply. 

"  By  George  !  "  he  exclaimed  aloud. 

"  What's  the  matter  ?  "  asked  a  messenger 
boy,  who  stood  at  his  elbow. 

"  That's  telling,"  was  the  answer.  "  If  you 
are  ever  able  to  run  a  ticker  of  your  own,  you 
will  know  that  it  is  against  the  law  to  reveal 
the  contents  of  the  messages  you  receive. 
Take  this  up  to  Mrs.  Butler's,  and  be  quick 
about  it.  It  is  for  Bob  Howard — all  the  way 
from  Arizona." 

"  By  George !  "  repeated  the  operator,  when 
the  messenger  boy  was  out  of  hearing.  "  It's 


8  THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  EIVER  CANYON. 

too  bad.  It  will  pretty  near  kill  Bob — and 
this  is  Ins  last  day  at  school,  and  he  is  going 
to  start  for  the  West  to-morrow  morning. 
He'll  go  to  a  desolate  home,  poor  fellow !  If 
I  had  the  money  he  is  heir  to,  I  wouldn't 
spend  many  more  hours  at  this  table,  I  bet 
you ! " 

The  messenger  boy  broke  into  a  run  as 
soon  as  he  was  out  of  the  office,  and  presently 
mounted  the  steps  leading  to  the  door  of  a 
modest  house  in  a  quiet  street. 

His  pull  at  the  bell  was  answered  by  a 
motherly-looking  old  lady,  who  took  the 
message,  signed  her  own  name  to  the  receipt 
book,  because  she  didn't  believe  that  Mr. 
Howard  had  yet  come  from  the  academy, 
and  then  went  up-stairs  and  laid  the  dispatch 
upon  the  centre-table  in  a  nicely  furnished 
room,  propping  it  up  against  a  book,  so  that 
it  would  be  sure  to  meet  the  eye  of  the  person 
for  whom  it  was  intended  as  soon  as  he 
entered  at  the  door. 

He  came  a  few  minutes  later — a  tall,  dark 
youth,  with  coal-black  hair  and  eyes,  and  a 
countenance  so  striking,  that,  when  you  had 


PEOLOGUE.  9 

taken  one  look  at  it,  you  always  wanted  to 
turn  and  take  another.  You  knew  that  he 
was  a  young  gentleman  as  soon  as  you  put 
your  eyes  on  him. 

He  was  a  favorite  with  the  girls  because 
of  his  handsome  face  and  figure ;  with  his 
teachers,  because  of  his  studious  habits  and 
strict  regard  for  the  rules  of  school ;  and 
with  his  fellows,  because  of  his  kindness  of 
heart  and  his  proficiency  in  every  athletic 
sport. 

Frail  as  he  looked,  he  took  the  lead  of 
them  all.  No  academy  boy  had  ever  taken 
his  measure  on  the  campus,  and  as  for  spar- 
ring and  fencing,  his  superiority  was  acknowl- 
edged by  everybody.  He  was  a  good  oars- 
man, a  lightning  pitcher,  a  terrific  batter, 
and  dead  sure  of  making  a  double  shot  on 
quails  or  snipe  as  often  as  the  opportunity 
was  offered.  Many  a  poor  student  had  his 
money  helped  out  of  a  tight  place;  and, 
although  Bob  never  let  one  hand  know  what 
the  other  hand  did,  those  who  were  the  recip- 
ients of  his  favors  could  always  tell  where 
they  came  from. 


10          THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  KIVER  CANYON. 

The  companion  who  followed  at  his  heels 
was  a  different  sort  of  boy  altogether.  He 
was  short  and  thick-set,  and  as  homely  as  he 
was  good-natured,  and  his  whole  appearance 
indicated  that  he  had  not  been  born  with  a 
silver  spoon  in  his  mouth. 

His  name  was  George  Edwards,  and  he 
was  janitor  of  the  academy.  His  lot  had 
always  been  a  hard  one — how  hard  you  will 
see  as  our  story  progresses — and  George 
could  not  remember  the  time  when  he  had 
not  been  dependent  upon  his  own  exertions 
for  his  daily  bread. 

Up  to  the  hour  he  made  the  acquaintance 
of  Bob  Howard,  his  life  had  been  one  fierce 
and  constant  struggle  with  poverty ;  but, 
since  that  memorable  afternoon,  his  pathway 
had  been  made  smoother  for  him. 

Having  introduced  our  heroes,  whom  we 
hope  you  will  like,  we  will  describe  the  cir- 
cumstances under  which  they  first  met,  and 
then  we  will  go  back  to  the  telegrams,  which 
bear  an  important  part  in  our  story. 


GEORGE  AND  HIS  UNCLE.          11 


CHAPTER  I. 

GEORGE    AND   HIS   UNCLE. 

*  "TTTELL,  George,  it  is  either  that  or  the 
V?  poorhouse." 

"There's  where  I  differ  with  you,  Uncle 
Kuben." 

"You  are  an  ungrateful  scamp.  Here  I 
am,  offerin'  you  a  good  home — " 

"  I  know  you  offer  me  shelter,  food  and 
clothing,  but  you  can't  give  me  a  home.  I 
shall  never  have  one  again,  now  that  my 
mother  is  dead." 

"And  your  father  in  prison  for  stealin'." 

"  You  might  have  spared  me  that,  Uncle 
Ruben.  I  know  he  is  in  prison,  and  there  is 
no  need  that  you  and  everybody  else  should 
constantly  remind  me  of  it.  I  am  in  no  way 
to  blame  for  what  he  did." 

"  Mebbe  you  hain't.  But  can't  you  see 
how  it's  a  hurtin'  of  you  ?  Who  is  there 


12          THE  MYSTEKY  OF  LOST  KIVER  CANYON. 

about  here  that  would  be  willin'  to  hire  the 
son  of  a  thief?" 

"I  don't  care  to  talk  to  you  now,  Uncle 
Ruben.  Leave  me  alone  for  a  day  or  two, 
and  then  I  will  tell  you  what  I  have  decided 
to  do." 

"  Might  as  well  decide  now  as  any  time. 
I  reckon  you  know  that  this  house  an' 
everything  what's  into  it  belongs  to  me, 
don't  you?  I  didn't  say  nothing  to  your 
mother  about  it  when  she  was  alive,  'cause 
she  was  my  brother's  wife,  and  I  didn't  want 
to  pester  her ;  but  now — " 

"  I  know  you  didn't  say  anything  about 
the  mortgage,  but  I  notice  that  you  always 
demanded  the  interest  the  moment  it  was 
due.  You  took  it,  too,  when  you  knew  that 
my  mother  didn't  have  money  enough  in  the 
house  to  buy  a  sack  of  flour." 

"  Well,  it  was  my  due,  an'  I  wanted  it." 

George  Edwards  uttered  an  exclamation 
of  disgust,  and,  leaning  his  elbows  on  the 
railing  that  surrounded  the  porch,  he  rested 
his  chin  on  his  hands,  and  gazed  off  toward 
the  distant  hills;  while  Uncle  Ruben  paced 


GEOEGE  AND  HIS  UNCLE.          13 

up  and  down  in  front  of  the  house,  thrashing 
his  cowhide  boots  with  his  riding  whip,  and 
taking  a  survey  of  the  buildings  and  grounds 
that  were  soon  to  come  into  his  possession 
by  virtue  of  the  mortgage  he  held  upon 
them. 

He  was  a  very  mean  man,  this  Ruben 
Edwards — the  meanest  man  in  all  that  coun- 
try, so  everybody  said — and  you  would  have 
known  it  the  minute  you  looked  at  him.  He 
loved  money,  and  not  unfrequently  resorted 
to  questionable  means  in  order  to  get  it. 

He  owned  several  farms  in  the  neighbor- 
hood, and  was  now  congratulating  himself 
on  having  secured  another.  True,  it  was 
not  much  of  an  acquisition.  All  he  saw, 
as  he  looked  about  him,  were  a  few  acres  of 
stony,  unproductive  land,  a  small,  unpainted 
dwelling-house,  and  a  few  out-buildings,  all 
of  which  showed  signs  of  decay,  in  spite  of 
the  efforts  the  industrious  George  had  made 
to  keep  them  in  repair. 

It  was  no  wonder  that  George  did  not 
want  to  talk  to  his  uncle  on  this  particular 
morning.  He  did  not  believe  that  there  was 


14          THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  RIVER  CANYON. 

a  boy  in  the  world  who  was  so  utterly  miser- 
able as  he  was,  or  who  had  so  little-"  to  live 
for. 

He  had  always  been  looked  down  on  and 
shunned  by  the  boys  of  his  acquaintance  on 
account  of  the  conduct  of  his  father,  who 
was  one  of  the  village  vagabonds ;  and,  since 
the  latter  had  been  shut  up  in  the  peniten- 
tiary for  breaking  into  a  store  and  stealing 
money  that  he  was  too  lazy  to  work  for,  poor 
George  had  had  a  hard  time  of  it.  No  one 
in  that  village  would  have  anything  to  do 
with  him. 

He  left  school  and  tried  to  find  something 
to  do  in  order  to  support  his  mother,  who 
was  an  invalid ;  but  nobody  needed  his  ser- 
vices. 

"There's  work  enough  to  be  done,"  he 
often  said  to  his  mother,  when  he  came  home 
from  his  long  tramps,  weary  and  dusty; 
"but  they  won't  give  me  a  chance.  They 
are  all  suspicious  of  me.  But  never  mind; 
you  shan't  suffer.  I  have  long  been  thinking 
of  something ;  and,  since  no  one  will  hire 
me,  I  shall  go  into  business  for  myself." 


GEOEGE  AND  HIS  UNCLE.          15 

And  he  did,  just  as  soon  as  he  could  make 
the  necessary  arrangements. 

The  people  who  would  not  let  him  saw 
their  wood,  because  they  were  afraid  he 
would  steal  something,  did  not  refuse  to  pur- 
chase the  delicious  trout  and  yellow  perch 
that  he  peddled  from  door  to  door,  and 
neither  did  the  luscious  berries  he  brought 
in  from  distant  fields  and  pastures  ever 
remain  long  on  his  hands. 

He  made  money ;  but  he  often  became  dis- 
heartened, and  angry,  too,  when  he  drew  a 
contrast  between  his  circumstances  and  those 
of  the  boys  about  him,  and  then  all  that  was 
needed  was  a  smile  or  a  word  of  praise  from 
his  mother  to  bring  all  his  courage  and  deter- 
mination back  to  him  again.  But  now  she 
was  gone — the  only  friend  he  ever  had.  She 
had  been  dead  just  a  week,  and  George  was 
lonely,  indeed. 

He  wanted  to  get  out  into  the  woods  by 
himself,  and  stay  there,  and  he  was  already 
making  preparations  to  take  a  final  leave  of 
the  house  which  he  could  no  longer  call  his 
home,  when  Jie  saw  his  Uncle  Ruben's  old 


16          THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  RIVER  CANYON. 

clay-bank  pacer  coming  down  the  road,  and 
Uncle  Euben  himself  in  the  saddle. 

George  was  not  at  all  pleased  to  see  him, 
for  he  knew  pretty  nearly  what  the  man 
would  have  to  say  to  him. 

"  'Taint  no  great  shakes  of  a  place,"  said 
Uncle  Ruben,  after  running  his  eye  over  the 
house  and  its  surroundings.  "But  mebbe  I 
can  sell  it  for  enough  to  save  myself.  Then 
you  won't  go  home  with  me  an'  work  for 
your  board  and  clothes  ?" 

"  No,  I  won't,"  replied  George  promptly. 

He  did  not  thank  his  relative  for  his  offer, 
for  he  knew  the  object  he  had  in  making  it. 

George  was  very  strong  for  a  boy  of  his 
age,  and  fully  capable  of  doing  a  man's  work 
in  the  field  ;  and  he  knew  that  his  services 
there  would  be  worth  much  more  than  his 
board  and  clothes.  So  did  Uncle  Ruben ; 
but  the  latter  thought  it  would  be  a  good 
thing  if  he  could  induce  his  nephew  to  agree 
to  his  proposition,  for  it  would  be  a  saving  to 
him  of  twenty  or  thirty  dollars  a  month. 

"  If  you  will  stay  with  me  till  you  are 
twenty-one  years  old,  I  will  give  you  a  yoke 


GEOEGE  AND  HIS  UNCLE.  17 

of  oxen  an'  a  good  suit  of  clothes  to  begin 
life  with,"  added  Uncle  Euben.  "That's 
customary,  you  know." 

"  I  know  it  is,"  answered  George.  "  But 
if  I  live  to  see  the  age  of  twenty-one,  I 
shall  have  more  than  a  yoke  of  worthless  old 
oxen  and  a  suit  of  shoddy  clothes,  /  tell 
you!'' 

Uncle  Ruben  winced  a  little  at  this. 

"  I  saw  the  outfit  you  gave  to  one  of  your 
bound  boys,  who  had  served  you  faithfully 
for  six  long  years,"  continued  George.  "  The 
oxen  were  not  worth  the  powder  to  blow  them 
up,  and  the  clothes  fell  to  pieces  in  less  than 
a  month.  You  can't  palm  any  of  your  old 
trash  off  on  me.  I  can  do  better." 

"  I  don't  see  how.  Whose  goin'  to  hire 
you  ?" 

"  I  don't  ask  any  one  to  hire  me.  I've  got 
a  business  of  my  own  that  enabled  me  to 
support  my  mother,  and  to  pay  your  interest 
on  the  very  day  it  became  due." 

"  But  you  shan't  foller  it  no  longer,"  said 
Uncle  Ruben,  decidedly.  "  Boys  like  you 
don't  know  what's  best  for  themselves.  You 

2 


18         THE  MYSTEKY  OF  LOST  EIVEE  CANYON. 

need  a  guardeen,  an'  I  shall  ask  the  select- 
men to  have  you  bound  out  to  me  until  you 
are  of  age." 

"  I  don't  care  if  you  do,"  replied  George, 
in  a  voice  choked  with  indignation.  "  Hav- 
ing no  property,  I  do  not  need  a  guardian, 
and  I  won't  have  one,  either.  I  can  take 
care  of  myself." 

"I  know  what  you  want  to  do,"  said 
Uncle  Ruben,  with  a  sneer.  "You're  too 
scandalous  lazy  to  work  for  a  livin',  an'  you 
want  to  go  back  to  that  shanty  of  yours  in 
the  woods,  an'  live  there,  trappin'  and  fishin', 
jest  for  all  the  world  like  a  wild  Injun.  But 
that  ain't  a  respectable  way  to  live — that  way 
ain't — an'  I  shan't  consent  to  it." 

"  I  haven't  asked  your  consent.  I  have  a 
right  to  make  an  honest  living  in  any  way  I 
can,  and  I  intend  to  exercise  that  right.  I 
am  not  too  lazy  to  work ;  but,  as  you  say, 
there  is  no  one  about  here  who  will  give  me 
anything  to  do.  I  am  not  going  to  starve  and 
go  ragged,  however,  for  all  that." 

"  Be  you  goin'  to  stay  up  there  in  the 
woods  all  your  life?"  inquired  Uncle  Ruben. 


GEORGE  AND  HIS  UNCLE.  19 

"No,  I  am  not.  I  want  to  be  something 
better  than  a  hermit.  I  intend  to  stay  up 
there  until  I  can  save  money  enough  to  take 
me  to  some  place  where  I  am  not  known,  and 
then  I  shall  make  a  new  start." 

"  Well,  we'll  wait  until  we  hear  what  the 
selectmen  have  to  say  about  that,"  answered 
Uncle  Ruben,  with  a  grin  and  a  wink  which 
seemed  to  indicate  that  he  felt  sure  of  his 
ground.  "Mebbe  they'll  think,  as  I  do,  that 
it's  best  for  you  to  go  with  me,  so  that  you 
can  have  somebody  what  knows  something  to 
take  care  on  you.  You  can  stay  here  till  I 
can  have  time  to  go  an'  see  'em." 

"  I  don't  care  to  stay  in  this  house  another 
night,"  replied  George,  quickly.  "  I  was 
getting  ready  to  leave  it  when  I  saw  you 
coming.  If  you  -have  got  through  talking, 
I'll  go  now." 

So  saying,  George  disappeared  through 
the  open  door,  and,  when  he  came  out  again, 
he  carried  over  his  shoulder  a  heavy  bundle, 
at  which  Uncle  Ruben  gazed  with  suspicion. 

"  Everything  in  here  belongs  to  me,  and 
was  purchased  with  money  that  I  earned 


20          THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  RIVEK  CANYON. 

myself,"  said  the  boy,  who  understood  the 
look.  "  If  you  don't  believe  it—" 

Here  George  threw  the  bundle  down  upon 
the  porch  within  reach  of  his  uncle's  hand. 

But  the  latter  did  not  offer  to  touch  it. 
Mean  as  he  was  known  to  be,  and  anxious  as 
he  was  to  secure  every  article  about  the  house 
that  would  clear  him  a  dime  or  two  at  public 
auction,  he  could  not  bring  himself  to  make 
an  examination  of  his  nephew's  bundle. 

"Well,  then,"  said  the  latter,  once  more 
raising  his  property  to  his  shoulder,  "  I  will 
bid  you  good-by." 

He  hurried  out  of  the  yard,  and  up  the 
road  toward  the  hills,  while  Uncle  Ruben 
stood  in  front  of  the  porch  and  shook  his 
riding- whip  at  him. 

"That's  a  powerful  bad  boy,"  said  he  to 
himself,  "  an'  he's  goin'  to  be  a  no-account 
vagabond,  like  his  father  was.  But  there's 
a  heap  of  strength  in  him,  an'  it's  a  great 
pity  that  he  should  waste  it  by  foolin'  about 
in  the  woods,  instead  of  puttin'  it  on  my 
farm,  where  it  would  do  some  good.  He'd 
oughter  be  taken  in  hand,  that  boy  ought." 


GEORGE  AND  HIS  UNCLE.          21 

Uncle  Ruben  gave  emphasis  to  this  thought 
by  hitting  his  boots  a  vicious  cut  with  his 
whip,  and  then  he  went  into  the  house,  to  see 
what  he  could  find  there. 


22         THE  MYSTEEY  OF  LOST  BIVEB  CANYON. 


CHAPTER  II. 

UNCLE  RUBEN  LEARNS  SOMETHING. 

WHILE  Uncle  Ruben  was  wandering 
about  from  one  room  to  another,  tak- 
ing a  mental  inventory  of  the  different  articles 
they  contained,  and  trying  to  figure  up  how 
much  ready  cash  they  ought  to  bring  under 
the  auctioneer's  hammer,  Jonathan  Brown, 
who  was  one  of  the  selectmen,  stopped  his  horse 
in  front  of  the  bars,  and  hailed  the  house. 

"Mornin',  neighbor  Edwards,"  he  ex- 
claimed, as  Uncle  Ruben  appeared  at  the 
door.  "  'Pears  to  me  you  look  sorter  blue, 
don't  you  ?" 

"  I'm  so  blue  it'll  rub  off,"  replied  Uncle 
Ruben,  as  he  walked  out  to  the  fence  and 
rested  his  arm  on  the  top  rail.  "Silas 
cheated  me  fearful.  I  let  him  have  too  much 
money  on  that  mortgage,  an'  I  shan't  get  it 


UNCLE  RUBEN  LEAENS  SOMETHING.      23 

back  into  a  good  many  dollars.  Then  there's 
that  there  boy,  George — " 

"  Yes,  I  seen  him  a  little  while  back/'  said 
Mr.  Brown,  facing  about  in  his  wagon  and 
looking  up  the  road  in  the  direction  in  which 
George  had  disappeared.  "  He  had  a  big 
bundle  on  his  back,  an'  when  I  asked  him 
if  he  had  found  work  anywhere,  he  said  he 
hadn't,  an',  what  was  more,  he  wasn't  goin'  to 
look  for  any.  Where  do  you  reckon  he's 
goin'  ?" 

"Up  into  the  hills,  to  live  like  a  wild 
Injun,"  replied  Uncle  Ruben,  in  a  tone  of 
disgust.  "  But  I  told  him  that  that  wasn't 
no  respectable  way  to  live,  an'  that  I  wouldn't 
never  consent  to  it." 

"  I  wouldn't,  neither,"  said  Mr.  Brown. 

"I  offered  to  give  him  a  good  home,  an' 
all  he  could  eat  and  wear,  if  he  would  work 
for  me  till  he  was  twenty-one;  an'  do  you 
s'pose  he  would  do  it?  No,  he  wouldn't," 
continued  Uncle  Ruben.  "  He  jest  as  good  as 
told  me  that  he  didn't  ask  no  odds  of  me  nor 
anybody  else.  Now,  Jonathan,  don't  you 
think  that,  seem'  as  how  I  shall  lose  twenty- 


24          THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  RIVER  CANYON. 

five,  and  mebbe  fifty  dollars  of  the  money  I 
loaned  my  brother  Silas  on  this  property — 
don't  you  r'ally  think  that  that  there  boy 
had  oughter  make  it  up  to  me?  Couldn't 
I  force  him  to  do  it  ?" 

Mr.  Brown  scratched  his  head  vigorously, 
and  assumed  an  air  of  profound  wisdom  as 
he  replied  : 

"  I  disremember  jest  now  what  the  law 
has  to  say  on  that  p'int;  but  I'll  look  it 
up." 

"An'  don't  you  think,  Jonathan,  that  the 
boy  was  a  fool  to  refuse  a  good  home  when  I 
offered  it  to  him  ?" 

"  Well/'  replied  Mr.  Brown,  slowly, "  to  be 
honest  with  you,  Ruben,  I  don't  know  who 
was  the  biggest  fool — you  or  George." 

"  I  know  what  you  mean  by  them  words, 
Jonathan,  but  I  don't  take  no  offense  at  'em. 
I  know  that  there  ain't  no  other  man  about 
here  who  would  be  willin'  to  take  him  into 
his  house ;  but  somehow  I  couldn't  forgit 
that  he's  my  brother's  son.  He  hain't  got  no 
livin'  relations  except  me,  as  one  may  say — 
seein'  that  his  mother  is  dead  an'  his  father 


UNCLE  EUBEN  LEAKNS  SOMETHING.      25 

locked  up  in  prison — an'  so  I  thought  I  had 
oughter  do  something  for  him." 

"  That  shows  your  goodness  of  heart,"  said 
Mr.  Brown,  who  was  well  enough  acquainted 
with  his  friend  Ruben  to  know  that  the 
latter  never  would  have,  offered  George  a 
home  under  his  roof  if  he  had  not  believed 
that  he  could  make  something  by  it.  "  But 
it's  my  opinion  that  that  there  nephew  of 
yourn  will  be  shut  up  in  prison,  same  as  his 
father  is,  before  many  days  more  have  passed 
over  his  head." 

"  Sho !"  exclaimed  Uncle  Ruben,  who  was 
greatly  astonished.  u  You  don't  tell  me ! 
What's  he  been  a-doin'  of?" 

"  I  don't  say  that  he's  been  a-doin'  of  any- 
thing," said  Mr.  Brown.  "  I'm  only  givin' 
you  my  opinion ;  an'  it's  the  opinion  of 
more'n  one  man  in  town,  too.  Now  jest 
listen  to  me  while  I  tell  you.  You  know 
that  there  was  a  heap  of  stealin'  goin'  on 
about  here  a  while  back,  don't  you  ?" 

Yes,  Uncle  Ruben  knew  all  about  it.  He 
knew  that  burglaries  had  been  of  so  frequent 
occurrence  that  the  village  merchants  had 


26          THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  RIVER  CANYON. 

clubbed  together  and  hired  a  couple  of  night 
watchmen  to  patrol  the  streets. 

"Well,"  continued  Mr.  Brown,  "you 
remember  that  while  all  them  stores  were 
bein'  broke  into  an'  robbed,  our  hen-roosts 
an'  spring-houses  didn't  escape,  don't  you  ?" 

Uncle  Ruben  remembered  it  perfectly,  and 
he  thought  of  it  now  with  no  little  bitterness 
of  heart. 

He  had  missed  more  than  one  tub  of  butter 
from  his  spring-house,  and  nearly  all  his  fine 
Plymouth  Rock  chickens  had  disappeared, 
and  left  no  trace  behind. 

"  All  that  was  mighty  curious,  seein'  that 
we  couldn't  find  no  track  of  the  robbers; 
but  something  that  happened  arterward  was 
still  more  curious.  When  George's  mother 
was  took  sick,  an'  he  had  to  stay  to  home  an' 
look  out  for  her,  there  wasn't  no  more  steal- 
in'  done.  You  remember  that,  too,  don't 
you?" 

Uncle  Ruben  fairly  jumped  from  the 
ground,  so  great  was  the  surprise  occasioned 
by  these  words. 

"  You — you  don't  mean  to  say  that  George 


UNCLE  KUBEN  LEAENS  SOMETHING.      27 

had  a  hand  in  robbin'  them  stores  an'  hen- 
roosts, do  you  ?"  he  asked,  as  soon  as  he  had 
recovered  the  use  of  his  tongue. 

"  I  don't  mean  to  say  nothing,"  was  Mr. 
Brown's  reply.  "  I'm  only  jest  a-tellin'  of 
you." 

"  Well !  well !  That  bangs  me,"  said  Uncle 
Ruben,  looking  reflectively  at  the  ground. 
"  I  never  thought  that  of  George ;  but 
then—" 

The  speaker  paused,  but  his  silence  spoke 
volumes.  It  was  plain  that  the  selectman 
understood  what  he  meant  by  it,  for  he  said, 
with  some  earnestness : 

"That's  jest  what  I  thought,  an'  jest  what 
I  said.  A  boy  whose  father  is  a  thief  will 
bear  watchin'.  Now  see  here,  Ruben.  It's 
a  mighty  disagreeable  thing  to  talk  about, 
but  I  jest  want  to  tell  you.  In  less'n  a  week 
arter  the  doors  of  the  prison  closed  behind 
your  brother,  George  an'  his  mother  began 
livin'  on  the  fat  of  the  land.  Why,  I  have 
seen  him  in  Chandler's  store,  more'n  once, 
spendin'  money  for  oranges  an'  lemons  an' 
canned  peaches — things  that  never  come  into 


28          THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  KIVER  CANYON. 

my  house,  'cause  I  can't  afford  'em — an  I'd 
like  to  know  where  he  got  that  money." 

"He  used  to  sell  fish  an'  berries,  you 
know,"  Uncle  Ruben  ventured  to  remark. 

"  Do  you  s'pose  he  made  all  his  money  in 
that  way  ?  "  inquired  Mr.  Brown.  "  Don't 
you  reckon  he  made  more  out  of  something 
else — butter  an'  chickens,  for  instance — an' 
that  this  fish  an'  berry  business  was  jest  a 
blind  ?  I  do ;  an'  I  ain't  the  only  one  who 
thinks  so,  neither.  An'  I'll  tell  you  another 
thing.  You  can  make  up  your  mind  to  hear 
of  stealin'  an'  plunderin'  about  this  village 
before  a  week  has  passed  away.  Sich  doin's 
wasn't  never  heard  of  till  George  built  that 
shanty  of  his'n  up  there  in  the  hills.  There 
wasn't  none  of  it  goin'  on  while  he  was  to 
home  here,  'tendin'  to  his  mother;  but  now 
that  he  has  took  to  the  woods,  it'll  begin  ag'in. 
You  wait  an'  see." 

So  saying,  Mr.  Brown  touched  his  sleepy 
old  horse  with  the  long  hickory  switch  which 
he  always  carried  instead  of  a  whip,  and  drove 
off,  leaving  Uncle  Ruben  to  his  meditations. 

The  latter  did  not  look  like  a  man  whose 


UNCLE  EUBEN  LEARNS  SOMETHING.      29 

only  nephew  had  just  been  accused  of  being 
a  thief.  He  did  not  appear  to  be  either  sorry 
or  vexed,  and,  in  fact,  he  wasn't. 

The  expression  of  his  countenance  showed 
that  he  was  surprised,  and  the  sinister  smile  that 
lingered  about  his  lips,  and  the  gleeful  way  in 
which  he  rubbed  his  hands  together,  seemed 
to  indicate  that  he  was  delighted,  as  well. 

"  Much  obliged  to  you  for  your  visit,  Mr. 
Brown,"  said  he,  as  he  mounted  the  steps  that 
led  to  the  porch.  "  So  George  was  the  one 
that  stole  my  Plymouth  Rocks,  an'  cut  up  all 
them  other  shines,  was  he?  I'm  glad  I  found 
it  out  afore  I  spoke  to  the  selectmen  about 
havin'  him  bound  out  to  me,  for  now  I  can 
save  the  cost  of  havin'  the  papers  drawn  up. 
I'll  go  home  an'  speak  to  Polly  Ann,  an'  then 
I'll  ride  up  to  the  lake  an'  have  another  talk 
with  George.  I  guess  he  will  listen  to  me  this 
time." 

Having  made  sure  that  all  the  doors  and 
windows  were  securely  fastened,  Uncle  Ruben 
mounted  his  horse  and  set  out  for  home. 

At  the  end  of  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  the 
fast-walking  clay-bank  carried  him  through 


30         THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  EIVER  CANYON. 

an  open  gate  and  past  the  back  door  of  a  thrifty 
farmhouse. 

On  the  porch  stood  his  wife,  who  looked 
surprised,  and  gave  a  somewhat  incoherent  re- 
ply to  his  cheerful  greeting. 

On  ordinary  occasions,  Uncle  Ruben  was 
not  an  agreeable  person  to  have  about  the 
house.  He  was  always  sullen  and  morose,  un- 
less he  had  been  fortunate  in  some  way,  and 
then  he  had  a  smile  and  a  pleasant  word  for 
everybody. 

"  Your  father  is  in  luck  to-day,  Sally/'  said 
Mrs.  Edwards,  as  she  went  into  the  kitchen  to 
assist  her  daughter  with  the  dinner  that  was 
ready  to  be  served  up.  "  I  know  when  he  has 
made  a  good  trade  as  well  as  he  knows  it  him- 
self." 

"  Well,  then,"  replied  Sally,  joyously,  "  he 
must  give  me  money  enough  to  buy  one  of 
them  new  hats  I  seen  down  in  the  village 
t'other  day.  I  can  tell  him  that  much." 

Having  put  the  clay-bank  in  his  stall  and 
performed  his  ablutions  at  the  horse-trough  in 
the  barn-yard,  Uncle  Ruben  came  in  and  an- 
nounced that  he  was  ready  for  dinner. 


UNCLE  RUBEN  LEARNS  SOMETHING.      31 

While  he  was  seated  at  the  table,  he  talked 
about  almost  every  subject  except  the  one  that 
was  uppermost  in  his  mind — to  tell  the  truth, 
he  stood  a  little  in  awe  of  his  wife,  and 
dreaded  the  explosion  which  he  knew  would 
follow  when  he  spoke  of  his  nephew,  and  told 
of  the  arrangements  he  had  decided  to  make 
with  him — and  it  was  not  until  he  had  got  up 
from  his  chair  and  put  on  his  hat  that  he  said 
to  her : 

"By  the  way,  Polly  Ann,  I  guess  you 
might  as  well  do  a  little  something  t' wards 
fixin'  up  that  bed  in  the  garret,  for  I  shall 
most  likely  bring  a  boy  home  with  me  to- 
night.7' 

"Who  is  he?"  demanded  Mrs.  Edwards, 
rather  sharply. 

Bound  boys — and  Uncle  Ruben  never  had 
any  other — were  her  pet  aversion. 

"  George,"  said  her  husband. 

"  Not  your  nephew,  George  Edwards  ?" 
exclaimed  Polly  Ann,  in  shrill  tones. 

Uncle  Ruben  nodded,  and  moved  nearer 
to  the  door. 

"  Well,  if  that  don't  beat  anything  I  ever 


32          THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  RIVER  CANYON. 

heard  of,  I  wouldn't  say  so.  Ruben  Elias 
Edwards,  have  you  gone  an'  took  leave  of 
your  seven  senses  ?  Don't  you  know —  " 

"Yes,  I  know  all  about  it,"  interrupted 
Uncle  Euben.  "  I  know  that  by  bringin'  him 
here  I  can  save  enough  money  durin'  the 
next  six  years  to  buy  you  an'  Sally  all  the 
nice  dresses  an'  hats  you  want." 

Sally's  face  grew  radiant,  but  her  mother 
was  not  deceived.  She  had  listened  to  just 
such  promises  before,  and  knew  how  much 
they  were  worth.  She  settled  back  in  her 
chair,  with  a  determined  look  on  her  face, 
and  Uncle  Ruben,  knowing  what  was  coming, 
hastened  to  the  barn  to  saddle  his  horse. 

When  he  rode  by  the  porch  the  storm  was 
at  its  height.  His  wife  was  crying  and  scold- 
ing at  an  alarming  rate,  and  her  shrill  tones 
rang  in  his  ears  long  after  he  had  passed 
through  the  gate. 

"  Women  is  curious  things,"  said  Uncle 
Ruben  to  himself,  as  he  urged  the  clay-bank 
forward  at  his  best  pace.  "  I  knowed  Polly 
Ann  would  raise  a  harrycane  when  I  told  her 
about  George ;  but,  in  course,  I  couldn't  help 


UNCLE  KUBEN  LEARNS  SOMETHING.      33 

that.  She'll  do  as  I  told  her,  all  the  same, 
'cause  I  am  the  head  boss  in  that  house. 
When  I  once  make  up  my  mind  to  a  thing,  it 
has  got  to  go  through." 

This  was  probably  true,  so  far  as  his  wife 
and  daughter  were  concerned,  for  they  were 
dependent  upon  him;  but  George  wasn't, 
and  when  Uncle  Ruben  came  to  deal  with 
that  young  gentleman,  he  found  that  he  had 
undertaken  more  than  he  could  accomplish. 


34          THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  RIVER  CANYON. 


CHAPTER  III. 

A    SURPRISE. 

'  AT^  doubt,  I  ought  to  feel  very  grateful 
1.M  toward  Uncle  Ruben  for  the  offer  he 
has  just  made  me,  but  I  can't  say  that  I  do," 
soliloquized  George  Edwards,  as  he  trudged 
along  the  dusty  road,  with  his  heavy  bundle 
slung  over  his  shoulder.  "  I  am  almost  seven- 
teen years  old  now,  and  I  am  getting  too  big 
to  work  for  my  board  and  clothes.  I  am  not 
obliged  to  do  it,  for  I  can  clear  a  dollar  a  day 
up  here  in  the  woods,  and,  as  my  living  will 
not  cost  me  anything  to  speak  of,  I  can  save 
enough  money  by  next  spring  to  take  me  so 
far  away  from  this  miserable  place  that  I  shall 
never  hear  of  it  again.  I  know  I  shall  be 
very  lonely,  but  I  shall  have  peace  and  com- 
fort, and  be  well  out  of  the  reach  of  Aunt 
Polly  Ann's  sharp  tongue." 

Here  George  turned  off  the  main  road,  and 


A  SURPRISE.  35 

letting  down  a  pair  of  bars  that  gave  en- 
trance into  an  extensive  sheep  pasture,  once 
more  shouldered  his  bundle  and  directed  his 
course  along  a  blind  path  which  ran  through 
a  thick  grove  of  evergreens.  Fortunately  he 
did  not  know  what  the  future  had  in  store 
for  him. 

The  peace  and  comfort  he  hoped  to  find  in 
his  forest  home  were  to  be  denied  him.  Al- 
ready skillful  plots,  that  were  intended  to 
work  his  ruin,  were  being  laid  against  him, 
and  George  was  destined  to  see  the  day  when 
he  almost  wished  that  he  had  accepted  his 
uncle's  offer ;  but  then  it  was  too  late. 

"  It  seems  to  me  that  things  might  be  made 
to  work  smoother  and  easier  for  some  of  us," 
said  George,  to  himself,  as  he  took  off  his  hat 
and  stopped  for  a  moment  under  the  wide- 
spreading  branches  of  the  evergreens  to  en- 
joy the  grateful  shade.  "  Dame  Fortune  has 
nothing  but  smiles  for  some  folks,  and,  as  she 
hasn't  got  enough  to  go  round,  the  rest  of  us 
have  to  take  frowns.  Now,  look  at  those  fel- 
lows !  If  I  had  as  much  money  as  their  guns 
cost,  I  could  get  an  education  that  would  en- 


36          THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  EIVEE  CANYON. 

able  me  to  be  of  some  use  in  the  world.  Never 
mind ;  I'll  have  it  yet. 

George  settled  his  hat  on  his  head  with  a 
vigorous  slap,  and,  running  down  the  path, 
presently  emerged  from  the  evergreens,  and 
found  himself  on  the  outskirts  of  a  little 
field,  which  had  been  cultivated  in  the  years 
gone  by,  but  was  now  given  over  to  briers  and 
huckleberry  bushes. 

On  the  opposite  side  of  this  field,  which 
was  entirely  surrounded  by  woods,  was  a 
huge  rock,  at  whose  base  a  spring  of  pure, 
cold  water  bubbled  up. 

Stretched  at  their  ease  on  the  grass  near 
this  spring  were  the  "  fellows,"  the  sight  of 
whom,  as  he  caught  a  momentary  glimpse  of 
them  through  the  trees,  had  started  George  on 
the  train  of  thought  with  which  he  closed  his 
soliloquy. 

Their  dress  and  accoutrements  seemed  to 
indicate  that  they  had  come  out  for  a  hunt ; 
although  it  is  hard  to  tell  what  they  intended 
to  shoot,  it  being  too  late  in  the  season  for 
ruffled  grouse  and  quails,  and  too  early  for 
young  squirrels.  They  were  all  the  sons  of 


A  SUEPEISE.  37" 

rich  men — almost  inseparable  companions — 
and  were  rapidly  acquiring  the  reputation  of 
being  a  "  hard  crowd." 

Careful  and  judicious  fathers  cautioned  their 
sons  against  associating  with  them ;  but  that 
did  not  seem  to  trouble  these  young  fellows, 
who  kept  on  enjoying  themselves  in  their  own 
way,  and  paying  no  heed  to  what  others  might 
say  or  think  of  them. 

They  were  engaged  in  earnest  conversation, 
and  so  deeply  engrossed  were  they  in  the  sub- 
ject under  discussion,  whatever  it  was,  that 
they  did  not  hear  the  sound  of  George's  ap- 
proaching footsteps  until  he  had  come  quite 
near  to  them. 

"I  tell  you,  boys,"  he  heard  one  of  them 
say,  "that  will  be  a  ten-strike,  and  we  can 
start  on  our  western  trip  as  soon  as  we 
please.  You  know  that  old  Stebbins  will  not 
trust  any  of  the  banks,  and  consequently  he 
must  have  the  money  in  his  house." 

"  But,  of  course,  he  keeps  it  stowed  away 
in  some  snug  hiding-place,"  said  one  of  his 
companions,  "  and  we  don't  know  where 
that  is,  What  good  will  it  do  to  break 


38          THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  EIVER  CANYON. 

into  the  house  if  we  can't  find  the  money 
after  we—" 

The  boy  finished  the  sentence  by  uttering  a 
cry  of  alarm  and  springing  to  his  feet. 

His  two  companions,  who  were  no  less 
alarmed,  also  jumped  up,  and  were  astonished 
beyond  measure  to  see  George  Edwards  stand- 
ing within  a  few  feet  of  them. 

For  a  few  seconds  they  stood  regarding  him 
with  eyes  that  seemed  ready  to  start  from 
their  sockets,  while  their  faces  grew  whiter 
and  their  knees  trembled  beneath  them. 

The  one  who  had  last  spoken  was  the  first 
to  recover  his  speech  and  power  of  action. 
Snatching  up  the  hammerless  gun  that  lay  in 
the  grass  at  his  feet,  he  called  out  in  savage 
tones : 

"  What  are  you  doing  here  ?  Make  your- 
self scarce  at  once,  or  I'll — " 

"  What  are  you  about,  Benson  ?"  cried  one 
of  his  companions,  seizing  the  double-barrel, 
and  giving  its  owner  a  look  that  was  full  of 
significance.  "  Why,  man  alive,  have  you 
taken  leave  of  your  senses  ?  Don't  you  see  who 
that  is  ?  Its  Edwards— George  Edwards." 


•\ 
A  SUKPKISE.  39 

"  So  it  is,"  said  Benson,  lowering  his  gun, 
and  calling  a  sickly  smile  to  his  frightened 
face.  "  You'll  not  feel  very  highly  compli- 
mented, I  know,  George,  but  the  fact  is  I  took 
you  for  a  tramp." 

His  two  companions  laughed  loudly,  and 
George  smiled  and  threw  his  bundle  down 
beside  the  spring. 

"  That's  a  good  joke  on  you,  Benson,"  said 
one  of  the  young  hunters  who  answered  to 
the  name  of  Wallace.  "  When  we  return  to 
the  village,  you'll  have  to  set  up  the  cigars,  if 
you  want  us  to  keep  still  about  it." 

"  It's  a  bargain,"  replied  Benson,  laying  his 
gun  on  the  ground  and  seating  himself  be- 
side it.  "  Are  you  travelling,  George,  or  just 
going  somewhere  ?" 

"  I  am  going  somewhere,"  answered  George, 
as  he  took  a  tin  cup  from  his  bundle  arid 
dipped  it  into  the  spring. 

"Got  a  job?" 

"  No — don't  want  any,  as  long  as  I  remain 
in  this  country." 

"  Going  out  to  your  cabin  by  the  lake?" 

George  replied  that  he  was ;  and,  having 


40          THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  EIVEE  CANYON. 

drained  his  cup,  he  leaned  over  to  fill  it  again, 
the  three  hunters  improving  the  opportunity 
to  exchange  glances  that  were  full  of  mean- 
ing. 

"  How  are  you  going  to  make  a  living  out 
there  during  the  winter?"  inquired  Benson. 
"  In  summer  you  can  fish  and  pick  berries  ; 
but  when  the  snow  covers  the  ground,  and  the 
lake  is  frozen  clear  to  the  bottom,  then  what  ?" 

"  The  lake  doesn't  freeze  clear  to  the  bot- 
tom," said  George,  with  a  laugh.  "  I  can  sup- 
ply the  village  with  the  muskalonge  that  I 
shall  spear  through  the  ice — I  shall  have  a 
monopoly  of  that  trade,  you  know,  for  the 
lake  is  so  far  away  that  no  one  thinks  of  go- 
ing up  there  in  winter — and  the  snow  will 
afford  me  the  means  of  tracking  minks,  rac- 
coons and  hares. 

"  Hares !  You  mean  rabbits,  I  suppose  ?" 

"  No,  I  don't.  There  are  no  wild  rabbits  in 
America." 

Benson  opened  his  eyes,  and  showed  a  dis- 
position to  argue  that  point,  but  he  was 
checked  by  a  look  from  Wallace.  He  evi- 
dently understood  just  what  it  meant,  for  he 


A  SUEPEISE.  41 

settled  back  on  his  elbow  and  relapsed  into 
silence. 

None  of  the  hunters  had  anything  to  say 
after  that,  and  George,  believing  that  his  ab- 
sence would  suit  them  better  than  his  com- 
pany, shouldered  his  bundle,  said  good-by, 
and  struck  into  .the  path  that  led  to  the 
hills. 

"  You're  a  good  one,  Benson,  you  are  !"  ex- 
claimed Wallace,  as  soon  as  he  had  satisfied 
himself  that  George  was  out  of  hearing. 
"  You  gave  us  dead  away,  in  the  first  place, 
and  then  kept  him  here  by  talking  to 
him." 

"  I  wanted  to  allay  his  suspicions,  if  he  had 
any,"  replied  Benson.  "  That  was  the  reason 
I  talked  to  him." 

"  Was  that  the  reason  why  you  pointed 
your  gun  at  him  ?"  inquired  the  hunter  who 
had  not  spoken  before,  and  whose  name  was 
Forbes. 

"  I  was  a  little  too  hasty,  that's  a  fact,"  said 
Benson.  "  But  you  remember  what  we  were 
talking  about,  do  you  not?  Well,  when  I 
looked  up  and  saw  him  standing  there,  almost 


42          THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  RIVER  CANYON. 

within  reach  of  us,  I  was  so  badly  frightened 
that  I  didn't  know  what  I  was  doing.  Do  you 
suppose  he  heard  anything  ?" 

"  Of  course  he  heard  something,"  growled 
Wallace,  in  reply.  "  He  must  be  deaf  if  he 
didn't." 

"  But  do  you  think  he  suspected  anything?" 

"  Ah,  that's  another  question  !  I  hope  not; 
but  there's  no  telling.  I  can  tell  you  one 
thing,  however.  There  isn't  room  enough  in 
the  hills  for  George  Edwards  and  our  party, 
too,  and  one  or  the  other  must  go." 

"  I  was  thinking  of  that  myself,"  said  Forbes. 
"  He  might  discover  something,  you  know, 
while  he's  prowling  around  in  search  of  his 
minks  and  coons.  Couldn't  we  drive  him  out 
by  burning  his  shanty  ?" 

"  We  might  put  him  to  some  trouble,  but 
we  couldn't  drive  him  out  in  that  way,"  replied 
Wallace.  "  George  is  handy  with  an  axe,  and  in 
two  days'  time  he  could  build  another  cabin, 
and  perhaps  he  would  be  smart  enough  to  keep 
watch  of  it.  But  I  shall  not  draw  an  easy 
breath  as  long  as  he  is  up  there.  If  he  should 
happen  to  stumble  upon  our  cache  ?  Whew  ! 


A  SUEPEISE.  43 

We  must  think  about  this,  boys,  and  decide 
upon  something." 

Meanwhile,  George  Edwards  was  plodding 
along  towards  the  lake,  and  while  he  walked 
he  pondered  deeply.  The  incidents  of  the 
last  half  hour  perplexed  and  astonished  him. 
What  was  the  meaning  of  Benson's  unwar- 
rantable excitement  ?  and  what  was  it  that  had 
caused  the  alarm  so  plainly  visible  on  the 
faces  of  the  three  hunters  when  they  first  be- 
came aware  of  his  approach  ? 

"  Benson  never  took  me  for  a  tramp,"  said 
George  to  himself.  "  That  story  was  a  fraud 
on  the  face  of  it.  And,  then,  what  business 
had  they  to  be  talking  about  old  man  Steb- 
bins,  and  the  money  he  is  supposed  to  have 
in  his  house  ?  It  is  a  wonder  to  me  that  he 
hasn't  been  robbed  a  dozen  times." 

There  were  one  or  two  other  points  in  the 
conversation  he  had  overheard  that  came  into 
the  boy's  mind,  but  to  which  he  did  not  then 
attach  any  importance.  He  did  not  think  of 
them  again  until  some  days  had  passed  away, 
and  then  they  were  recalled  to  his  recollection 
in  a  most  unexpected  manner. 


44          THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  EIVER  CANYON. 

It  was  fifteen  miles  from  George's  old  home 
to  his  home  in  the  woods,  and,  as  the  road 
that  led  to  it  (if  the  blind  path  he  followed 
could  be  called  a  road)  ran  up  hill  nearly  all 
the  way,  it  took  him  a  long  time  to  cover  the 
distance — much  longer  than  it  usually  did, 
for  he  was  encumbered  by  his  heavy  bundle. 

The  sun  was  sinking  behind  the  trees  when 
he  came  out  of  the  bushes  and  stopped  to  rest 
for  a  moment  on  a  little  promontory  that 
jutted  out  into  the  deep-blue  bosom  of  Lone 
Lake — a  beautiful  sheet  of  water,  nine  miles 
long  and  half  as  wide,  and  situated  twenty- 
five  hundred  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea — 
at  least,  that  was  what  the  young  surveyors 
at  the  Montford  Academy  said. 

George  gazed  upon  its  mirror-like  surface 
as  one  gazes  upon  the  face  of  a  friend  from 
whom  he  has  long  been  separated.  It  had 
yielded  him  and  his  mother  a  support  and 
kept  a  roof  over  their  heads  for  two  long 
years,  and  it  was  his  main  dependence  now. 

If  any  one  had  told  him,  that  before  the 
sun  had  again  been  reflected  in  those  calm 
waters  half  a  score  of  times,  some  scenes 


A  SUEPEISE.  45 

would  be  enacted  there  that  would  change 
the  whole  course  of  his  life,  George  would 
not  have  put  the  least  faith  in  the  statement ; 
but  it  would  have  been  the  truth,  neverthe- 
less. 


46          THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  EIVER  CANYON. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

A    HOME    IN    THE    WOODS. 

HAVING  taken  time  to  cool  off  and  re- 
cover his  breath,  George  once  more 
lifted  his  bundle  to  his  shoulder  and  resumed 
his  journey.  He  had  not  more  than  two  miles 
to  go  now,  and  as  he  followed  the  beach,  where 
the  walking  was  good,  it  took  him  but  a  short 
time  to  cover  the  distance. 

The  next  time  he  threw  down  his  bundle 
it  was  in  front  of  a  snug  little  cabin,  built  of 
rough  logs,  and  situated  on  a  little  rise  of 
ground  that  commanded  a  fine  view  of  the 
lake. 

"  Things  are  all  right  outside,"  said  George 
to  himself,  as  he  took  a  key  from  his  pocket 
and  inserted  it  into  the  padlock  with  which 
the  heavy  slab  door  was  secured ;  "  and  that 
is  something  to  wonder  at.  There  are  lots  of 
mean  boys  in  the  village,  and  I  was  afraid 


A  HOME  IN  THE  WOODS.  47 

that  some  of  them  had  been  up  here  during 
my  absence.  Everything  seems  to  be  all 
right  inside,  too,"  he  added,  as  the  door  swung 
open  and  the  interior  of  the  cabin  was  dis- 
closed to  view. 

George  stepped  across  the  threshold  as  he 
spoke,  and  this  was  what  he  saw  :  A  room 
twelve  or  thirteen  feet  square,  with  a  heavy, 
ungainly-looking  scow  turned  bottom  upward 
in  the  middle  of  it ;  a  wide  fire-place  with  a 
stick  chimney  and  a  stone  hearth ;  over  it  a 
rough  mantel-piece,  on  which  stood  a  lamp 
and  several  books ;  at  the  opposite  end  an 
open  cupboard  piled  with  bright  tin  dishes ; 
under  the  cupboard  a  table  and  two  or  three 
stools,  all  made  of  slabs — and  neatly  made, 
too ;  in  a  corner,  near  the  door,  a  pair  of  oars 
and  a  small  sprit-sail  made  of  unbleached 
muslin ;  and  lastly,  a  cord  hammock,  with 
two  quilts,  as  many  blankets,  and  a  pillow 
in  it. 

There  was  no  floor  in  the  cabin,  and  neither 
were  there  any  windows.  The  ground,  which 
was  almost  as  hard  as  the  stone  that  formed 
the  hearth,  was  easily  kept  clean,  and  the  door, 


48          THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  EIVER  CANYON. 

being  allowed  to  stand  open  during  the  day- 
time, except  in  very  stormy  weather,  admitted 
all  the  light  that  was  necessary. 

Some  boys  would  have  thought  this  a  very 
cheerless  and  uninviting  home,  and  so  it  was, 
but  it  was  the  only  one  George  had.  He 
had  lived  in  the  hope  of  some  day  being  able 
to  provide  himself  with  a  better. 

"  There's  one  thing  about  it,"  thought  the 
boy,  as  he  placed  several  sticks  of  round 
wood  upon  the  ground  and  made  prepara- 
tions to  roll  the  heavy  scow  out  of  the 
cabin,  "  I  am  my  own  master.  There  is  no 
one  to  tell  me  what  I  shall  do  and  what  I  shall 
not  do,  and  all  the  money  I  make  is  my  own. 
If  I  had  agreed  to  Uncle  Ruben's  proposition, 
I  should  have  to  go  hungry  and  half  clad, 
listen  to  a  scolding  from  Aunt  Polly  Ann 
every  hour  in  the  day,  and  now  and  then  I'd 
have  to  take  a  cowhiding  from  Uncle  Ruben. 
I'd  much  rather  live  here  alone  than  with 
them,  and  I  don't  care  if  I  neTrer  see — " 

George's  soliloquy  was  in  .  apted  by  a 
sound  that  startled  him — the  clatter  of  a 
horse's  hoofs  on  the  gravelly  beach.  He 


A  HOME  IN  THE  WOODS.  49 

looked  out  at  the  door,  and  was  astonished 
to  see  Uncle  Ruben  riding  toward  the  cabin. 

If  one  might  judge  by  the  expression  of 
his  face  he  was  in  very  good  humor  about 
something.  Dismounting,  he  drew  the  bridle- 
rein  over  his  horse's  head,  and  dropped  it  to 
the  ground  so  that  the  animal  could  not  stray 
away,  at  the  same  time  greeting  his  nephew 
with : 

"  Well,  George,  I  don't  reckon  you  expected 
to  see  me  ag'in  so  soon,  did  you  ?" 

"  No,  I  didn't,"  replied  the  boy. 

And  Uncle  Ruben  would  have  been  dull, 
indeed,  if  he  had  not  been  able  to  see  that 
he  was  not  wanted  there, 

"  I  didn't  expect  to  see  you,  nuther,"  con- 
tinued the  man,  seating  himself  on  the  scow, 
which  had  been  rolled  part  way  through  the 
door.  "But  I  thought  mebbe  I'd  better 
have  another  lee  tie  talk  with  you—" 

"  It's  of  no  use,"  said  George — "  of  no  use 
whatever.  If  fl  had  to  live  in  the  same  house 
with  you,  I  w$uld  not  work  for  you  for  fifty 
dollars  a  montn — " 

— "  another  leetle  talk  with  you,"  repeated 


50          THE  MYSTEEY  OF  LOST  EIVEE  CANYON. 

Uncle  Ruben,  paying  no  heed  to  the  inter- 
ruption, "  for  I  think  you  will  be  willin'  to 
listen  to  me  now." 

"  Well,  you  are  mistaken.  I  shall  never 
agree  to  your  proposition.  I  know  you  too 
well." 

"  I  wouldn't  git  up  on  a  high  hoss,  if  I  was 
in  your  place.  Tain't  becomin',"  said  Uncle 
Ruben,  in  a  significant  tone.  "  Hold  on  now," 
he  added,  seeing  that  George's  face  began  to 
flush  with  indignation.  "  I  ain't  speakin'  of 
what  your  father's  done.  I'm  speakin'  of 
what  you  have  done  yourself." 

"  I  have  done  nothing  to  be  ashamed  of.  I 
have  tried  to  behave  myself,  and  to  deserve 
the  respect  of  those  around  me.  I  have 
always  made  an  honest  living — " 

"  Have  you,  though  ?  Well,  there's  them 
right  here  in  this  town  as  says  you  hain't," 
interrupted  Uncle  Ruben,  with  a  triumphant 
air. 

"  Oh,  I  know  that  there  are  those  who 
make  a  business  of  saying  all  sorts  of  unkind 
things  about  me,"  answered  George,  in  a 
voice  that  was  choked  with  indignation, 


A  HOME  IN  THE  WOODS.  51 

"  but  all  they  can  say  will  not  alter  the  facts 
of  the  case.  I  say  now,  and  I  don't  care 
who  disputes  it — " 

He  suddenly  paused,  for  there  was  an  ex- 
pression in  his  uncle's  eyes  that  he  could  not 
understand.  He  looked  steadily  at  him  for  a 
moment,  and  then  seated  himself  on  the 
other  end  of  the  scow. 

"  There,  now !"  said  Uncle  Ruben,  in  a 
tone  of  satisfaction.  "  I  kinder  thought  that 
mebbe  you'd  be  willin'  to  listen  to  reason 
after  while.  It's  the  gospel  truth,  an'  folks 
do  say  it." 

"  What  do  they  say  ?" 

"  They  say  they  don't  know  where  you  got 
the  money  you  used  to  spend  at  the  store 
for  the  oranges  an'  trash  you  used  to  buy  for 
your  mother." 

"Well,  if  you  hear  anybody  asking  any 
questions  about  it,  you  can  just  tell  them,  for 
me,  that  it's  none  of  their  business !"  replied 
George,  angrily. 

"  But  folks  '11  make  it  their  business.  You 
can't  expect  that  they'll  stand  by  an'  let  their 
stores  be  broke  into  an'  robbed,  an'  their 


52          THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  KIVEE  CANYON. 

butter  an'  chickens  stole,  without  making  a 
fuss  about  it.  Don't  stand  to  reason." 

"Uncle  Euben,  explain  yourself/7  said 
George,  jumping  to  his  feet.  "  You  don't 
mean  to  tell  me — " 

"  Yes,  I  do,"  broke  in  the  man,  who  knew 
what  his  nephew  was  about  to  say.  "  Every- 
body knows  that  you  have  been  spendin'  a 
heap  of  money  sence  your  father  was  locked 
up,  an'  that  you  didn't  make  it  by  sellin'  fish 
an'  berries." 

"  How  did  I  make  it,  then  ?"  asked  George, 
who  was  utterly  bewildered. 

"  How  can  I  tell  ?  I  don't  know  where  all 
that  nice  butter  an'  them  fine  chickens  an' 
silk  goods  went  to.  True,  that's  jest  what 
folks  say  about  you,"  continued  Uncle  Ruben, 
who  saw  that  George  was  almost  overwhelmed 
by  the  hints  he  had  thrown  out,  "an'  they'll 
keep  on  sayin'  it  as  long  as  you  live  up  here 
in  this  wild  Injun  fashion.  Your  Aunt  Polly 
Ann,  who  sets  a  heap  of  store  by  you,  has 
been  to  the  trouble  of  fixin'  up  a  nice  bed- 
room for  you,  an'  I  promised  her,  sure,  that 
I'd  bring  you  home  with  me." 


A  HOME  IN  THE  WOODS.  53 

"  Well,  when  you  see  her  again,  tell  her 
that  the  reason  that  you  didn't  keep  your 
promise  was  because  I  wouldn't  go  home  with 
you,"  said  George. 

"You  won't?"  You'd  better.  Jest  see 
how  people  are  talkin'  about  you." 

"  Let  them  talk  until  they  get  tired,  and 
then,  perhaps  they  will  stop.  I'll  not  go," 
declared  George,  shortly. 

"  But  you  must.  I've  set  my  heart  on  it, 
an'  so  has  your  Aunt  Polly  Ann." 

"  I  can'Uielp  that." 

"  The  constable  might  come  up  here  an' 
arrest  you  for  a  thief." 

"  I  know  he  might,  but  he  won't.  At  any 
rate,  I'll  take  the  risk.  Now,  Uncle  Euben, 
you  might  as  well  understand,  first  as  last, 
that  you  can't  scare  me  into  going  home  with 
you.  Let  me  shove  the  boat  out,  please. 
There  is  a  storm  coming  up,  and  I  want  to 
go  out  on  the  lake  and  catch  some  fish  for 
supper  before  it  gets  here." 

"  Well,  George,"  said  Uncle  Ruben,  as  he 
arose  to  his  feet,  "  I  have  tried  to  do  my  duty 
by  you.  I  have  offered  you  a  good  home,  an* 


54          THE  MYSTEEY  OF  LOST  KIVER  CANYON. 

give  you  fair  warnin'  of  what  will  be  sartin 
to  happen  to  you  if  you  hold  to  your  fool  no- 
tion of  livin'  up  here  all  alone  by  yourself. 
Folks  will  think  there's  something  wrong 
somewhere." 

"  They  needn't  trouble  themselves  about  me. 
Let  them  attend  to  their  own  business,  and  I 
will  attend  to  mine." 

"  If  you  git  into  trouble  through  your  mu- 
lishness,  you  mustn't  blame  rne  for  it." 

"  I  won't.     Good-by  !" 

"  He's  a  bad  boy — a  monstrous  bad  boy  !" 
soliloquized  Uncle  Ruben,  as  he  mounted  his 
horse  and  rode  away ;  "  an'  he'll  surely  come 
to  some  bad  end,  jest  as  his  father  did  before 
him.  He  shan't  stay  up  here  wastin'  his  time 
when  he  had  oughter  be  at  work,  an'  that's  all 
there  is  about  it." 

George  watched  his  uncle  as  long  as  he  re- 
mained in  sight,  and  then  went  to  work  to  get 
his  scow  into  the  water.  He  was  surprised 
and  bewildered,  but  he  was  not  frightened, 
for  he  could  not  bring  himself  to  believe  that 
the  man  had  told  him  the  truth.  What  reason 
could  anybody  have  for  saying  that  he  was 


A  HOME  IN  THE  WOODS.  55 

the  thief  whose  depredations  had  caused  so 
great  an  excitement  in  the  village  ? 

"  Uncle  Ruben  made  it  all  up  out  of  his 
own  head,"  said  George  to  himself,  as  he 
pushed  the  scow  into  the  water  and  made  the 
painter  fast  to  a  convenient  tree,  "and  it  is  only 
one  of  the  many  mean  tricks  of  which  I  know 
him  to  be  guilty.  The  village  people  know 
where  I  live,  and  if  they  suspect  me,  let  them 
come  up  here  and  find  some  of  the  stolen  goods 
in  my  possession.  That's  a  thing  they  can't  do." 

Consoling  himself  with  this  reflection, 
George  went  into  the  cabin  again,  and  when 
he  came  out  he  brought  out  with  him  the 
oars  belonging  to  the  scow,  and  also  a  stout 
fishing-rod.  It  was  not  a  jointed  lancewood 
rod,  with  German-silver  mountings,  wound 
butt,  and  nickel-plated  reel-seat,  but  simply  a 
hickory  sapling  he  had  cut  in  the  bushes. 

George  could  not  afford  a  fancy  outfit,  and 
this  rod,  which  had  cost  him  nothing  at  all, 
answered  the  purpose  for  which  it  was  in- 
tended, and  if  he  chanced  to  break  it  while 
playing  a  heavy  fish,  he  could  in  five  minutes 
provide  himself  with  another  just  as  good. 


56          THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  EIVEK  CANYON. 

Having  filled  his  box  with  bait,  which  he 
found  under  a  log  behind  the  cabin,  George 
stepped  into  his  scow  and  pushed  her  off  from 
the  beach. 

Just  then  a  loud  peal  of  thunder  echoed 
among  the  hills,  and  the  smooth  surface  of  the 
lake  was  ruffled  by  the  first  breath  of  the  on- 
coming storm.  A  thick,  black  cloud  which 
had  been  hanging  in  the  horizon  all  day  long, 
was  now  rising  rapidly,  and,  during  the  five 
minutes  that  George  had  been  employed  in 
getting  his  boat  into  the  water  and  digging 
his  bait,  it  had  covered  the  whole  sky. 

It  was  growing  dark,  and  the  lake  looked 
black  and  threatening.  It  was  a  treacherous 
body  of  water — a  capful  of  wind  was  enough 
to  raise  a  sea  that  would  try  almost  any  boat 
—and  George  knew  better  than  to  trust  him- 
self upon  it  while  a  gale  was  raging. 

"  I  guess  I  don't  want  any  fish  for  supper," 
said  he,  as  he  shifted  his  oar  to  the  other  side 
of  the  boat,  and  pushed  her  back  toward  the 
beach.  "  I  shall  have  to  be  satisfied  with 
what  I  brought  with  me  in  my  bundle.  It's 
going  to  be  a  hard  one,"  he  added,  as  a  strong 


A  HOME  IN  THE  WOODS.  57 

gust  of  wind  lifted  his  hat  from  his  head  and 
carried  it  toward  the  cabin ;  "  and  I  thank  my 
lucky  stars  that  I  have  a  tight  roof  to  shelter 
me.  What  in  the  world  was  that  ?" 

Having  drawn  his  scow  high  up  on  the 
beach,  and  fastened  the  painter  securely  to  a 
tree,  George  ran  to  recover  his  hat ;  and  just 
then,  something  that  sounded  like  a  cry  for 
help  came  faintly  to  his  ears. 

Believing  that  the  appeal  came  from  the 
woods,  George  listened  intently,  and  in  a  few 
seconds  the  cry  was  repeated.  This  time  the 
wind  brought  it  to  him  very  plainly,  and  he 
caught  the  words  : 

"  Help  !  help !  Our  boat  is  sinking !" 

George  looked  in  the  direction  from  which 
the  voice  sounded,  and  was  greatly  astonished 
as  well  as  alarmed,  to  see  a  cockle-shell  of  a 
boat  dancing  about  among  the  waves,  which 
had  already  grown  to  formidable  proportions. 
While  he  gazed,  she  sank  out  of  sight,  and 
nothing  but  the  top  of  the  little  shoulder-of- 
mutton  sail  she  carried  in  the  bow  remained 
in  view  to  show  that  she  was  still  above  water. 


58         THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  KIVEB  CANYON. 


CHAPTER  V. 

A    CAPSIZE. 

EORGE  EDWARDS  held  his  breath  in 
suspense.  The  hull  of  the  little  craft  was 
so  long  out  of  sight  that  he  began  to  fear  he 
would  never  see  it  again ;  but,  all  of  a  sud- 
den, it  bobbed  up  as  buoyantly  as  a  cork, 
and  once  more  that  frantic  appeal  for  assist- 
ance was  borne  across  the  lake. 

George  was  now  able  to  see  that  there  were 
two  boys  in  the  boat.  One  was  clinging  to 
the  mast,  waving  his  handkerchief  over  his 
head  as  a  signal  of  distress,  and  the  other 
was  seated  in  the  stern,  wielding  a  clumsy- 
looking  paddle,  with  which  he  endeavored  to 
keep  the  boat  before  the  wind. 

George  looked  at  them,  and  then  he  looked 
toward  the  promontory  on  which  he  had 
stopped  to  rest  when  he  first  reached  the  lake. 

This   promontory  was   about  fifty  feet   in 


&  CAPSIZE.  59 

height,  and  its  base  was  thickly  lined  with 
rocks,  over  which  the  waves  were  dashing 
with  great  violence,  throwing  the  spray  high 
in  the  air.  It  was  not  more  than  half  a  mile 
distant,  and  the  wind  was  driving  the  boat 
toward  it  with  fearful  rapidity. 

"  What  lunatics  those  fellows  must  be  to 
venture  out  on  this  lake  when  they  don't 
know  how  to  manage  a  boat!"  exclaimed 
George.  "  If  they  hold  that  course  they  will 
be  dashed  to  pieces  on  the  rocks,  as  sure  as 
they  are  living  boys."  Then,  bringing  his 
hands  to  his  face,  and  using  them  as  a  speak- 
ing-trumpet, he  shouted  with  all  the  power 
of  his  lungs,  "  Haul  down  your  sail  and  pull 
for  the  beach !" 

The  boy  who  was  holding  on  to  the  mast 
waved  his  signal  of  distress  over  his  head,  and 
then  the  boat  sank  out  of  sight  again. 

When  she  reappeared,  George  once  more 
shouted  to  her  crew  to  haul  down  the  sail,  at 
the  same  time  striving  to  warn  them  of  their 
danger  by  pointing  toward  the  rocks  and 
beckoning  to  them  to  come  ashore. 

But  his  instructions  must  have  been  mis- 


60         THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  EIVEE  CANYON. 

understood,  or  else  the  boat's  crew  could  not 
obey  them,  for  their  little  craft  kept  driving 
on  toward  the  rocks,  while  one  of  the  boys 
continued  to  wave  his  handkerchief,  and  the 
other  to  ply  his  clumsy  paddle. 

It  was  plain  that  they  could  not  save  them- 
selves, and  that  George  was  the  only  one  who 
could  render  them  any  assistance.  The  boy's 
face  grew  pale  when  this  fact  flashed  upon 
him,  but  it  wore  a  very  determined  look. 

"  It's  almost  certain  death,"  said  he,  as  he 
cast  off  the  painter  and  pushed  the  scow  into 
the  water ;  "but  I  can  at  least  make  the  at- 
tempt. If  I  go  under,  there  is  nobody  to  miss 


me." 


Pushing  his  scow  through  the  surf,  and 
wading  until  the  water  was  nearly  up  to  his 
waist,  George  clambered  in,  shipped  the  oars, 
and  pulled  out  into  the  lake. 

When  Uncle  Ruben  was  at  the  cabin,  he 
had  shown  a  disposition  to  turn  up  his  nose 
at  his  nephew's  boat,  which  was  the  boy's 
own  handiwork ;  but  if  he  could  have  seen 
how  she  behaved  now,  he  would  have  learned 
that  she  was  much  better  than  she  looked  to 


A  CAPSIZE.  61 

be.  Being  broad  of  beam  and  light  of  draught, 
she  seemed  to  skim  over  the  top  of  the  waves 
instead  of  breaking  through  them,  and,  heavy 
as  she  was,  George  was  able  to  send  her  ahead 
with  considerable  speed. 

He  rowed  fast  enough  to  intercept  the  sail- 
boat when  she  was  within  less  than  a  quarter 
of  a  mile  of  the  threatening  rocks  and  then 
he  found,  greatly  to  his  surprise,  that  she  was 
a  canoe,  so  lightly  built,  apparently,  that  a 
boy  of  ordinary  strength  could  take  her  on 
his  back  and  walk  off  with  her  with  all  ease. 

She  was  making  bad  weather  of  it,  for  she 
was  half-full  of  water,  and  every  time  she 
struck  a  wave  she  would  bury  her  nose  in  it 
almost  out  of  sight.  If  her  two  occupants 
realized  the  danger  of  their  situation,  they  did 
not  show  it.  They  were  as  cool  as  boys  could 
possibly  be. 

The  one  in  the  bow  watched  George's 
movements  with  a  good  deal  of  interest,  while 
the  dignified  young  fellow  in  spectacles,  who 
was  sitting  in  the  stern  and  using  the  butt 
of  his  double -barrel  for  a  paddle,  issued  his 
orders  with  great  calmness  and  deliberation. 


62          THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  RIVER  CANYON. 

"  Bring  your  boat  around  head  to  the  wind, 
if  you  can,  and  let  us  come  alongside  of  you," 
said  he,  addressing  himself  to  George.  "You 
will  have  to  do  all  the  work,  for  I  have  lost  my 
paddle;  and  if  the  canoe  should  broach  to,  we'd 
be  tumbled  out  into  the  lake  before  you  could 
say  'General  Jackson'  with  your  mouth  open." 

George  saw  at  a  glance  that  the  dignified 
young  gentleman  knew  how  to  handle  a  ca- 
noe, and  that  in  keeping  the  sail  hoisted  he 
was  doing  the  best  that  could  be  done  under 
the  circumstances.  If  he  had  attempted  to 
make  the  beach,  he  would  have  brought  his 
cranky  little  craft  broadside  to  the  waves,  and, 
having  no  centre-board,  and  scarcely  any 
bearing,  she  would  have  been  overturned  in 
an  instant,  leaving  her  crew  to  sink,  or  drift 
helplessly  toward  the  rocks. 

That  very  thing  did  happen  to  her  soon. 
Although  George  tried  hard  to  place  himself 
directly  across  her  bows,  the  canoe  shot  wild 
of  him  ;  and  in  his  efforts  to  bring  her  along- 
side the  scow,  the  skipper  lost  control  of  her, 
and  over  she  went,  turning  completely  bottom 
upward. 


A  CAPSIZE.  63 

The  rocks  were  now  but  a  short  distance 
away,  and  the  noise  made  by  the  waves  as 
they  dashed  over  them  was  enough  to  frighten 
anybody.  George  was  frightened,  and  his 
pale  face  showed  it. 

It  would  have  been  a  work  of  no  little  diffi- 
culty to  row  a  light  boat  away  from  that  dan- 
gerous spot ;  but  to  wait  there  long  enough 
to  pick  up  a  couple  of  boys  who  were  tossed 
about  by  the  waves,  now  here,  now  there,  and 
always  just  out  of  reach,  to  rescue  them  and 
then  save  himself,  was  a  task  requiring  great 
skill  and  prudence. 

George  looked  at  the  rocks  and  then  he 
looked  about  for  the  canoe's  crew.  To  his 
great  joy  they  arose  to  the  surface,  one  after 
the  other,  and  they  were  close  ahead  of  him, 
too.  One  was  near  enough  to  seize  the  gun- 
wale of  the  scow,  while  the  other  promptly 
laid  hold  of  the  oar  that  was  thrust  out  to- 
ward him. 

"  Where's  Goggles  ?"  asked  the  first,  wiping 
the  water  out  of  his  eyes,  and  looking  around 
to  find  his  companion. 

"  He's  all  right !"  answered  George.  "  Climb 


64          THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  EIVEE  CANYON. 

in — quick !  Not  over  the  side,  for  your  weight 
will  capsize  the  scow.  Go  around  to  the  stern. 
Be  lively  now,  or  the  waves  will  throw  us  on 
the  rocks." 

The  boy  looked  toward  the  breakers,  but 
the  sight  of  them  did  not  seem  to  terrify  him 
in  the  least.  He  worked  his  way  around  to 
the  stern,  climbed  into  the  scow,  and  then 
turned  to  assist  his  companion,  who  was 
clinging  to  the  oar  with  one  hand,  while  in 
the  other  he  held  a  light  double-barreled 
shotgun. 

"  Say,  Goggles  !"  said  the  boy  in  the  boat ; 
"  I  am  just  a  hundred  dollars  out  of  pocket, 
by  this  day's  work.  Give  us  your  gun.  Mine 
is  at  the  bottom  of  the  lake.  I  told  you  your 
cranky  little  egg-shell  wasn't  seaworthy  I" 

"  The  canoe  is  all  right,  so  far  as  her  sea- 
going qualities  are  concerned/'  was  the  reply. 
"  If  I  hadn't  lost  my  paddle  overboard,  she 
would  have  taken  us  ashore  without  shipping 
so  much  as  a  cupful  of  water.  But  we  have 
taken  our  last  ride  in  her.  She  will  be 
smashed  into  kindling-wood  on  those  rocks." 

"  Haul  him  in  I  haul  him  in  !"  cried  George, 


A  CAPSIZE.  65 

in  great  excitement.  "  We  shall  be  smashed 
into  kindling-wood,  too,  if  we  don't  get  out  of 
this !  Now,  then/'  he  continued,  as  the  boy 
who  had  been  addressed  as  "  Goggles  "  was 
dragged  aboard,  "  take  an  oar,  one  of  you,  and 
pull  for  your  life." 

The  boys  had  no  light  task  before  them, 
and  if  Goggles  had  not  been  a  capital  oars- 
man, it  is  hard  to  tell  how  the  struggle  would 
have  ended. 

For  a  long  time  the  heavy  boat  seemed  to 
remain  stationary.  With  all  their  exertions, 
they  could  make  no  perceptible  headway ; 
but  finally  they  began  to  gain  a  little,  and, 
after  half  an  hour's  hard  pulling,  they  suc- 
ceeded in  beaching  the  scow  about  half-way 
between  the  promontory  and  the  cabin. 

George  landed  there,  because  he  thought  it 
would  be  easier  to  walk  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
than  it  would  be  to  pull  the  boat  that  dis- 
tance against  the  wind  and  the  waves. 

"  Now,  then,"  said  Goggles,  as  he  and  his 
companion  assisted  in  securing  the  boat,  so 
that  it  would  not  drift  away;  "the  next 
thing  is  something  else.  A  fire  to  dry  our 

5 


66          THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  EIVEE  CANYON. 

clothes  by  and  something  good  to  eat,  would 
be  very  acceptable  just  now.  Do  you  live 
far  from  here,  my  friend?" 

"  Only  a  short  distance  away,"  answered 
George.  "  If  you  will  go  up  to  my  shanty, 
you  can  have  both  the  fire  and  the  supper. 
I  can't  promise  you  that  the  grub  will  be 
very  good — " 

"Say  nothing  about  that,"  interrupted 
Goggles.  "  I  hope  we  shall  not  put  your 
folks  to  any  trouble." 

"  No,"  replied  George,  sadly ;  "  you'll  not 
put  them  to  any  trouble."  Then,  seeing  the 
expression  of  surprise  and  inquiry  on  the 
faces  of  the  rescued  boys,  he  added,  "  I  am 
my  own  cook  and  housekeeper.  I  am  living 
up  here  alone." 

"  Oh,  you're  out  for  a  holiday,  then  !  You 
came  here  to  hunt  and  fish,  I  suppose?" 

"  Yes,  I  came  here  to  fish ;  but  I  am  not 
taking  a  holiday.  It's  a  matter  of  bread  and 
butter  with  me." 

"  You  don't  say  so !  Can't  you  find  any- 
thing to  do  in  the  village  ?" 

"  No,  I  can't,"  replied  George. 


A  CAPSIZE.  67 

But  he  did  not  tell  the  boy  the  reason 
why. 

"  Well,  there's  no  use  in  standing  here  in 
the  rain  any  longer.  Let's  go  up  to  your 
'  shanty,'  as  you  call  it.  You  have  rendered 
us  a  most  important  service,"  said  Goggles, 
with  much  feeling,  as  he  took  George's  hand 
in  both  his  own  and  shook  it  warmly.  "  I 
never  saw  anybody  exhibit  as  much  pluck  as 
you  have  shown  to-day.  What  can  we  do 
for  you  ?" 

"Take  a  big  bite  while  you  are  about  it," 
said  the  other  boy,  who  had  stood  by,  listen- 
ing in  silence  to  this  conversation.  "  We  owe 
our  lives  to  you." 

"  You  owe  me  nothing  but  your  good-will," 
replied  George.  "  I  am  sure  you  would  have 
done  as  much  for  me." 

"  I  don't  know  about  that,"  replied  Goggles, 
as  the  three  hurried  up  the  beach  toward 
the  cabin.  "  One  needs  courage,  and  a  good 
share  of  it,  too,  to  enable  him  to  go  deliber- 
ately into  danger  for  the  sake  of  helping 
somebody ;  and  that's  a  quality  I  don't  pre- 
tend to  possess.  Now,  perhaps  you  would 


68          THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  RIVER  CANYON. 

like  to  know  who  we  are.  My  friend  here  is 
Bob  Howard,  and  he  lives  away  out  of  the 
world,  in  a  place  called  Arizona.  I  am  Dick 
Langdon,  at  your  service,  and  live  in  a  white 
man's  country,  my  home  being  in  Connect- 
icut." 

"There's  where  the  wooden  nutmegs  come 
from !"  observed  Bob  Howard. 

"  My  name  is  George  Edwards,  and  I  live 
there,"  said  our  hero,  pointing  to  the  cabin, 
which  was  now  in  plain  sight. 

It  looked  mean  and  forbidding  now.  It 
was  good  enough  for  him,  for  he  had  never 
been  accustomed  to  luxurious  surroundings ; 
but,  if  there  was  any  faith  to  be  put  in 
appearances,  the  boys  who  were  to  be  his 
guests  until  the  storm  was  over,  were  the 
sons  of  wealthy  parents,  and  he  thought 
they  would  look  out  of  place  under  his 
humble  roof. 

He  did  not  then  know  that  one  of  them 
was  more  familiar  with  life  in  the  woods  than 
he  wa,s,  and  that  he  had  many  a  time  been 
glad  to  crawl  into  a  hollow  log  for  shelter. 
George  didn't  know,  either,  that  his  life  and 


A  CAPSIZE.  69 

Bob  Howard's  were  destined  to  run  along  in 
the  same  channel,  and  that  they  were  to  be 
the  heroes  of  an  adventure  that  is  talked  of 
on  the  frontier  until  this  day ;  but  such  was 
the  fact. 


70         THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  EIVEB  CANYON. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

DICK  LANGDON'S  SENTIMENTS. 

'  TT7E  are  students  at  the  Montford  Aca- 
YV  demy,"  said  Dick  Langdon.  "Yes- 
terday we  asked  for  a  short  leave  of  absence, 
and  came  up  here  in  search  of  fun  and 
adventure." 

"And  we  got  all  we  wanted  of  both!" 
chimed  in  Bob  Howard.  "  Dick  lost  his 
canoe,  and  I  lost  my  gun,  but  we  caught  a 
splendid  string  of  fish,  and  I  had  a  twenty- 
minute  fight  with  a  muskalonge,  that  I  shall 
remember  as  long  as  I  live." 

"You  don't  say  anything  about  the  nar- 
row escape  we  had  from  having  our  brains 
dashed  out  on  those  rocks,"  observed  Dick. 

"  There's  no  need  that  I  should  speak  of 
that,  for  George  knows  as  much  about  it  as 
we  do.  By-the-way,  do  you  suppose  the 


DICK  LANGDON'S  SENTIMENTS.  71 

waves  will  leave  anything  of  that  canoe? 
Our  fishing-rods  were  stowed  in  one  of  the 
lockers." 

"  I  am  afraid  you  have  seen  them  for  the 
last  time,"  replied  George.  "But  I  don't 
think  your  gun  is  lost  beyond  recovery." 

"  How  shall  we  go  to  work  to  get  it  ?" 

"  If  the  lake  is  quiet  to-morrow,  we  can 
dive  for  it.  I  think  I  can  go  right  to  the 
spot  where  your  boat  was  capsized." 

"  How  deep  is  the  water?" 

"About  thirty  feet." 

"You  don't  pretend  to  say  that  you  can 
bring  up  bottom  at  that  depth,  do  you  ?" 

"  Oh,  yes !  I  can  go  deeper  than  that, 
when  I  have  a  high  place  to  take  a  plunge 
from." 

"Well,  you  are  better  at  diving  than  I  am, 
and  I  will  make  it  worth  your  while  to  get 
that  gun  for  me.  I  value  it  highly,  for  it 
was  the  last  thing  my  father  gave  me  before 
I  left  my  Western  home  to  come  to  this 
academy.  So  this  is  where  you  live,  is  it?" 
said  Bob,  as  George  entered  the  cabin  door 
and  invited  them  to  enter. 


72          THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  EIVER  CANYON. 

Wood  was  already  laid  upon  the  hearth, 
and  it  was  but  the  work  of  a  moment  to 
touch  a  lighted  match  to  it  and  set  it 
going. 

Then  George  and  his  new  friends  pulled 
off  some  of  their  wet  clothes,  and,  having 
wrung  the  water  out  of  them,  they  hung 
them  over  the  stools  to  dry. 

The  fire  was  soon  blazing  merrily,  and,  as 
the  boys  turned  themselves  slowly  about  in 
front  of  it  and  listened  to  the  howling  of  the 
storm  and  the  beating  of  the  rain  on  the  roof, 
they  felt  a  sense  of  comfort  and  security  that 
was  decidedly  refreshing  after  their  recent 
experience. 

"  Now,  isn't  this  glorious  ?"  said  Dick 
Langdon,  adjusting  his  spectacles  and  spread- 
ing his  hands  over  the  warm  blaze.  "  I  be- 
lieve there  must  be  some  Indian  about  me, 
for  do  you  know,  fellows,  that  I  have  often 
thought  I  should  like  to  live  this  way  all  my 
life?" 

Without  waiting  for  an  answer,  Dick 
straightened  up,  turned  his  back  to  the  fire 
and  sung,  in  a  clear,  mellow  voice : 


DICK  LANGDON'S  SENTIMENTS.  73 

"I've  a  home  in  the  woods,  the  dark  green  woods, 

'Neath  the  shade  of  the  old  oak  tree, 
Where  the  wild  birds  warble  their  songs  of  praise, 

In  tones  so  wild  and  free. 
A  lovely  place  is  this  home  of  mine — 

A  quiet,  a  dear  little  spot ; 
And  over  my  casement  the  vine  doth  entwine, 

Like  an  angel,  to  watch  o'er  my  cot !" 

"The  sentiment  is  very  fine,  no  doubt/' 
said  Bob  Howard.  "  But  if  that  dear  little 
home  of  yours  was  covered  with  snow,  so 
that  you  couldn't  stir  out  of  it  for  months ; 
and  your  firewood  gave  out,  and  the  wolves 
came  and  serenaded  you  every  day  and 
glared  down  at  you  through  the  chimney ; 
and  your  provisions  run  short,  and  you  saw 
starvation  staring  you  in  the  face!  I  tell 
you  what's  a  fact,  Dick ;  I  know  something 
about  that.  There  has  been  a  good  deal  of 
nonsense  written  about  life  in  the  woods. 
You  could  not  stand  it  three  months." 

"  I'd  like  to  try,"  said  Dick. 

"  I'll  change  places  with  you,"  said  George. 
"  I'll  give  you  my  house,  if  you  will  give  me 
your  seat  at  the  academy." 


74         THE  MYSTEEY  OF  LOST  BIVER  CANYON. 

"  Would  you  like  to  go  there  ?" 

"In deed  I  would." 

"  Then,  why  don't  you  go  ?" 

George  was  so  surprised  at  this  question, 
that  he  did  not  reply  to  it. 

Why  didn't  he  go  ?  Where  were  his 
guest's  eyes  and  ears?  Would  he,  or  any 
other  boy,  who  was  in  full  possession  of  his 
senses,  be  likely  to  make  a  hermit  of  himself 
from  choice  ? 

Of  course,  he  could  not  tell  them  that  he 
had  no  money  to  pay  for  four  years'  tuition  at 
the  academy,  and  so  he  held  his  'peace ;  but 
his  silence  told  his  new  friends  all  they  wanted 
to  know,  and  they  then  and  there  made  up 
their  minds  to  act  accordingly. 

After  the  two  boys  had  warmed  themselves 
and  dried  their  clothing,  Dick  proceeded  to 
overhaul  his  gun,  and  Bob  assisted  George  in 
laying  the  table  and  preparing  supper. 

It  was  not  much  the  latter  had  to  place 
before  his  guests — nothing  but  bread  and 
butter,  a  few  vegetables  and  a  cup  of  tea ;  but 
there  were  half  a  dozen  young  squirrels  in 
Bob's  game-bag,  which  the  owner  had  saved 


DICK  LANGDON'S  SENTIMENTS.  75 

simply  because  it  happened  to  be  slung  over 
his  shoulder  when  the  canoe  was  capsized ;  and 
when  these  had  been  cleaned  and  roasted 
over  the  coals,  the  meal  was  ready. 

George's  long  walk  had  given  him  a  good 
appetite,  and  the  ducking  Dick  and  Bob  had 
received  must  have  had  a  similar  effect  upon 
them,  for  the  edibles  rapidly  disappeared, 
and  in  a  few  minutes  every  bone  had  been 
picked  clean. 

"  How  did  you  two  fellows  happen  to  find 
your  way  to  this  lonely  region  ?"  asked 
George,  as  he  threw  more  wood  on  the  fire  and 
drew  one  of  the  stools  into  the  chimney  corner. 

"  Oh,  we  have  often  heard  of  this  lake  and 
the  fine  fishing  that  could  be  enjoyed  here,  if 
one  had  a  boat  to  go  about  in  ;  so  I  sent  home 
for  my  canoe/ '  replied  Dick  Langdon. 
"  When  it  came,  we  hired  a  team  to  bring  us 
and  our  trappings  up  here,  and  asked  the 
professor  for  a  holiday.  We  are  to  go  back 
to-morrow  night,  for  no  student  is  allowed  to 
be  away  from  the  village  over  Sunday,  unless 
he  is  known  to  be  at  home,  where  he  can't 
get  into  mischief." 


76          THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  EIVEE  CANYON. 

"  Where  is  your  camp  ?" 

"  We  havn't  any.  We  slept  in  Mr.  Steb- 
bins'  barn  last  night." 

"  In  his  barn !"  repeated  George.  "  Why 
didn't  you  go  into  the  house?" 

"  Because  the  old  fellow  wouldn't  let  us," 
said  Dick,  with  a  laugh.  "We  gave  him  abun- 
dant proof  that  we  were  able  to  pay  for  our 
supper  and  lodging,  but  he  would  not  listen 

to  us." 

"  And  while  he  was  talking  to  us,  he  held 

the  door  open  just  about  two  inches,"  observed 
Bob.  "  He  acted  as  if  he  was  afraid  of  us." 

"  Very  likely  he  was,"  said  George.  "  If  all 
reports  are  true,  he's  got  a  pile  of  money  hid- 
den away  somewhere  in  his  house." 

"  Ah,  that  accounts  for  his  suspicions,  then. 
For  a  while,  we  thought  we  would  have  to 
stay  out  of  doors  all  night,"  continued  Dick  ; 
"but  finally,  the  old  fellow  said  we  might 
sleep  on  the  hay,  if  we  wouldn't  smoke.  And 
just  before  dark  he  brought  us  a  mouthful 
of  bread  and  butter  and  about  half  a  pint 
of  milk." 

"  And   charged   us  a  dollar  for  it !"    said 


-v 

DICK  LANGDON'S  SENTIMENTS.  77 

Bob,  in  a  tone  of  disgust.  "  He's  a  regular  old 
skin-flint.  But  if  he  keeps  so  much  money  in 
the  house,  I  shouldn't  think  he  and  his  wife 
would  want  to  live  there  alone.  If  some  tramp 
should  happen  to  find  it  out,  it  might  be  bad 
for  them,  for  they  are  too  old  to  defend  them- 
selves, and  there  isn't  another  house  on  the 
lake— is  there  ?" 

"  Yes,  there  is  one  at  the  lower  end,"  re- 
plied George ;  "  but  I  am  his  nearest  neigh- 
bor." 

When  bedtime  came,  George  spread  all  his 
quilts  and  blankets  on  the  floor  in  front  of 
the  fire,  and  he  and  his  guests  went  to  sleep, 
lulled  by  the  howling  of  the  storm,  which 
continued  to  rage  with  unabated  fury  until 
long  after  midnight ;  but  the  morning  broke 
bright  and  clear,  and  at  the  first  peep  of  day 
the  boys  were  astir. 

They  looked  out  at  the  door,  and  saw  that 
the  lake  was  as  smooth  as  a  mill-pond.  There 
was  nothing  to  prevent  them  from  making 
an  attempt  to  recover  Bob  Howard's  lost  fowl- 
ing-piece. 

"But  first,  I  must  have  a  good  breakfast 


78          THE  MYSTEEY  OF  LOST  EIVER  CANYON. 

of  fish,"  said  that  young  gentleman.  We  lost 
those  we  caught  yesterday,  but  fortunately,  I 
have  both  hooks  and  lines  in  one  of  the  pockets 
of  my  game-bag." 

"And  there's  an  axe,  and  you  will  find 
plenty  of  poles  behind  the  cabin,"  said  George, 
"  While  you  are  cutting  them,  I  will  go  down 
and  bring  up  the  scow." 

"  Did  you  save  any  cartridges  ?"  asked 
Dick  Langdon,  who  stood  just  outside  the  door, 
with  his  head  turned  on  one  side,  as  if  he 
were  listening  intently. 

"I  did;  and  as  they  are  loaded  in  water- 
proof cases,  they  are  not  injured  in  the  least." 

"  Well,  your  gun  is  the  same  calibre  as 
mine,  and  if  you  will  give  me  some  of  those 
cartridges,  I'll  see  if  I  can  get  a  squirrel  or 
two  for  breakfast.  I  hear  one  barking  out 
there  in  the  woods." 

Bob  handed  his  game-bag  to  Dick,  who 
slung  it  over  his  shoulder  and  set  out  in 
search  of  the  squirrels,  while  George  hurried 
down  the  beach  to  bring  up  the  scow. 

By  the  time  he  returned,  Bob  had  rigged 
a  pole  and  dug  a  supply  of  bait ;  and  when 


DICK  LANGDON'S  SENTIMENTS.  79 

he  had  got  into  the  boat,  George  pulled  him 
to  the  nearest  fishing-ground. 

"There's  nothing  like  knowing  where  to 
go  to  find  the  best  places,"  said  Bob,  half  an 
hour  later,  as  he  surveyed  with  no  little  sat- 
isfaction, the  fine  string  of  yellow  perch  which 
was  floating  in  the  water  alongside  the  scow. 
"  Yesterday,  Dick  and  I  tried  all  the  likely 
spots  along  the  opposite  shore,  but  we  didn't 
get  a  bite  until  we  got  down  to  the  lower 
end  of  the  lake." 

"  That  was  because  you  didn't  understand 
the  habits  of  the  fish,"  replied  George. 
"  When  the  season  first  opens,  you  will  find 
them  along  the  beach,  just  outside  the  weeds ; 
but  as  the  weather  grows  warmer,  they  draw 
off  into  deep  holes,  and  at  this  time  of  the 
year  you  will  find  the  best  fishing  in  about 
forty  feet  of  water." 

While  Bob  was  engaged  in  hauling  in  the 
perch,  almost  as  fast  as  he  could  bait  his 
hook,  Dick  Langdon  was  not  idle.  His  gun 
spoke  at  short  intervals,  and  as  Dick  was  a 
fine  marksman,  he  did  not  throw  away  a  single 
charge  of  shot. 


80          THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  KIVER  CANYON. 

When  the  fishermen  returned  to  the  cabin, 
they  found  him  sitting  on  a  log  in  front  of  it, 
with  half  a  dozen  gray  squirrels  at  his  side. 
He  might  have  secured  as  many  more  if  he 
had  felt  so  disposed,  but  being  a  thorough-bred 
young  sportsman,  he  did  not  believe  in  killing 
more  game  than  he  could  use. 

Breakfast  was  soon  cooked  and  eaten,  and 
then  Dick  and  Bob  announced  that  they  were 
ready  to  see  George  make  an  attempt  to  re- 
cover the  lost  fowling-piece. 

The  lake  being  quiet,  they  had  a  fair  view 
of  the  rocks  on  which  they  had  so  narrowly 
escaped  being  wrecked,  and  they  shuddered 
as  they  looked  at  them. 


A  PERSEVERING  DIVER.  81 


CHAPTER  VII. 

A    PERSEVERING    DIVEK. 

BOB  rowed  the  boat,  George  stood  in  the 
bow,  divested  of  his  clothing  and  all 
ready  to  make  the  plunge,  and  Dick  sat  in  the 
stern  and  looked  at  the  rocks. 

"  I  tell  you,  they  look  ugly  !"  said  he,  with 
another  involuntary  shudder.  "  If  it  hadn't 
been  for  you,  George,  there  would  have  been 
two  vacant  seats  at  the  Montford  Academy 
next  Monday.  What's  that  wedged  in  be- 
tween those  two  high  rocks,  a  little  to  the  left 
of  the  point  ?  It  looks  to  me  like  a  piece  of 
my  lost  canoe." 

"  That's  just  what  it  is  I"  answered  George, 
"  We'll  go  up  there  and  take  a  look  at  it  as 
soon  as  I  find  out  whether  or  not  I  am  going 
to  get  that  gun.  We  are  pretty  near  the  spot 
now.  Steady!  There!" 

As  Bob  ceased  rowing  and  faced  about  on 

6 


82          THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  EIVEE  CANYON. 

his  seat,  there  was  a  splash  in  the  water,  and 
George  had  disappeared.  He  was  gone  a  good 
while — so  long  that  the  two  boys  who  were 
awaiting  the  result  of  his  experiment,  began 
to  look  at  each  other  with  some  uneasiness. 

At  length,  Dick  asked  suddenly  : 

"  I  say,  Bob,  what  are  you  going  to  give 
him  if  he  finds  your  gun  for  you  ?" 

"  That's  exactly  what  I  wanted  to  speak  to 
you  about,"  was  Bob's  reply.  "  I  don't  think 
it  would  be  quite  the  thing  to  offer  him  money, 
for  he  doesn't  look  to  me  like  a  boy  who  would 
go  to  all  this  trouble  for  the  sake  of  earning 
a  reward." 

"That's  my  opinion,  and  I  will  tell  you 
what  I  have  been  thinking  of.  You  know  he 
said  he  would  like  to  go  to  the  academy  ;  and 
he  said  it  in  a  way  that  led  me  to  believe  that 
the  only  obstacle  that  stands  in  his  way  is  a 
lack  of  money.  Now  you  and  I  have  more 
spare  change  than  we  can  use,  and  if  you  will 
pay  half  his  tuition,  I'll  pay  the  other  half. 
He  needn't  know  that  we're  doing  anything 
for  him,  for  I  have  an  idea  that  he  would  re- 
fuse—" 


N 
A  PERSEVERING  DIVER.  83 

Before  Dick  could  finish  his  sentence, 
George's  head  bobbed  up  out  of  the  water,  a 
short  distance  away ;  but  the  only  thing  he 
brought  with  him  was  a  handful  of  gravel,  to 
show  that  he  had  been  to  the  bottom. 

A  few  long,  sweeping  strokes  brought  him 
alongside  the  boat.  He  climbed  in  over  the 
bow,  and,  after  taking  a  moment's  breathing 
spell,  he  went  down  again. 

This  time  he  was  gone  longer  than  before, 
and  Dick  and  Bob  had  ample  leisure  to  de- 
cide upon  something. 

What  it  was,  you  will  learn  as  our  story 
progresses. 

The  second  attempt  to  recover  the  lost 
weapon  resulted  in  failure,  and  so  did  the 
third  and  fourth  ;  but  the  fifth  was  success- 
ful. A  hand,  grasping  the  little  double-bar- 
rel, suddenly  appeared  above  the  surface  of 
the  water,  followed  an  instant  after  by  the 
persevering  diver,  who  was  as  highly  elated 
over  his  achievement  as  Bob  Howard  was 
himself. 

"  George,"  said  he,  as  he  grasped  the  gun 
and  began  rubbing  it  briskly  with  his  hand- 


84          THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  EIVER  CANYON. 

kerchief,  "I  don't  know  how  to  thank  you 
for  the  service  you  have  rendered  me." 

"Then  you  had  better  not  try/'  advised 
George,  with  a  laugh.  "  That's  a  beautiful 
little  piece,  and  well  worth  saving.  Now,  I 
wish  I  could  give  Dick  his  canoe  in  good  or- 
der." 

"  Thank  you  !  But  that  is  something  that 
nobody  this  side  of  Troy  can  do.  She  is  made 
of  paper." 

George,  who  had  never  before  heard  of  such 
a  thing  as  a  paper  canoe,  opened  his  eyes  and 
looked  incredulous ;  but  when  he  had  pulled 
over  to  the  rocks  and  taken  a  look  at  the 
wreck  that  was  stranded  there,  he  found  that 
Dick  had  told  him  nothing  but  the  truth. 
The  little  craft  had  been  torn  completely  in 
two.  The  stern  was  nowhere  to  be  seen,  and 
the  bow  was  wedged  so  tightly  between  the 
rocks  that  they  could  not  get  it  out. 

"  I  say,  Bob,  take  the  butt  of  your  oar  and 
break  a  hole  through  the  bottom,"  said  Dick. 
"  Perhaps  we  shall  find  something  in  there." 

And  so  they  did. 

Through  the  opening  that  Bob's  heavy  oar 


A  PERSEVERING  DIVER.  85 

speedily  made  in  the  frail  covering  he  gained 
access  to  the  forward  locker,  from  which  he 
drew  forth  two  jointed  fishing-rods,  and  also 
a  liberal  supply  of  canned  goods,  such  as  sal- 
mon, lobsters,  condensed  milk,  and  fried  brook 
trout. 

He  likewise  brought  to  light  a  canister  of 
ground  coffee,  about  half  a  peck  of  potatoes, 
and  lastly,  a  water-proof  bag,  which,  on  being 
opened,  was  found  to  contain  a  quantity  of 
crackers,  bread,  and  ginger-snaps,  and  also 
two  blackberry  pies. 

George  looked  on  in  wonder. 

"  Did  I  understand  you  to  say  that  you  are 
going  back  to  the  academy  to-night  ?"  said  he. 

"  You  did,"  assured  Bob,  panting  from  his 
exertions.  "  Why  do  you  ask  ?" 

"  I  don't  wonder  that  you  had  to  hire  a 
team  to  bring  you  up  here,"  continued  George. 
"  You  had  your  canoe  provisioned  for  a  four- 
weeks'  cruise." 

"  That  shows  how  much  you  know  about  an 
academy  boy's  appetite,"  said  Dick.  "  When- 
ever we  go  into  the  country  for  a  holiday,  we 
always  make  our  entertainers  open  their  eyes. 


86          THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  EIVEE  CANYON. 

Find  anything  more,  Bob  ?  Well,  then,  shove 
off.  We'll  stop  at  the  cabin  long  enough  to 
unload  our  cargo  and  give  our  poles  a  good 
rubbing,  and  then,  perhaps,  George  will  be 
kind  enough  to  show  us  where  we  can  catch 
a  good  string  of  bass.  We  don't  want  to  go 
back  to  the  academy  empty-handed,  you 
know  ;  for  if  we  do  the  fellows  will  laugh  at 


us." 


George's  guests  thoroughly  enjoyed  them- 
selves that  day. 

Having  caught  a  pailful  of  minnows  for 
them,  George  rowed  them  down  to  his  favorite 
fishing-grounds,  and  by  the  time  the  fish 
stopped  biting  they  had  sixteen  black  bass 
to  show  to  the  academy  boys  as  trophies  of 
their  skill. 

George  offered  to  increase  the  size  of  their 
string  by  adding  to  it  the  fish  he  had  caught 
himself — being  an  expert  angler,  he  had 
caught  an  even  dozen  while  the  others  were 
catching  sixteen— but  Dick  and  Bob  would 
not  listen  to  it.  When  they  exhibited  their 
fish  they  wanted  to  be  able  to  say  that  they 
had  caught  them  all  themselves,  and  they 


A  PEESEVEEING  DIVEE.  87 

couldn't  say  that  if  they  accepted  any  help 
from  George. 

The  dinner  that  was  served  up  in  the  cabin 
that  afternoon  was  the  best  that  George  had 
eaten  for  many  a  day,  and  he  disposed  of  his 
full  share  of  it. 

When  they  had  satisfied  their  appetites, 
Dick  and  Bob  began  to  get  ready  to  start 
for  home. 

"  Now,  George/'  said  the  latter,  as  he 
shouldered  his  gun  and  fishing-rod,  which 
he  had  tied  together  so  that  they  could  be 
easily  carried,  "  how  much  do  we  owe  you  ?" 

"  Not  a  red  cent,"  was  George's  reply. 

"  Cheap  enough,"  said  Dick.  "  We'll  come 
again." 

"  I  hope  you  will.  I  shall  be  glad  to  see 
you  at  any  time — that  is,  if  you  can  be  satis- 
fied with  such  poor  accommodations  as  I  have 
to  offer  you." 

"  Say  nothing  about  that !"  exclaimed  Bob. 
"  What  better  accommodations  can  we  ask  for 
than  a  tight  roof,  a  good  bed  and  plenty  to 
eat  and  drink  ?" 

"And  good  hunting  and  fishing  within  a 


88          THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  KIVEK  CANYON. 

stone's  throw  of  your  door,"  chimed  in  Dick. 
"You  may  expect  us  next  Friday  evening. 
We  can  get  away  every  week  if  we  only  be- 
have ourselves  during  study  hours,  and  I  am 
perfectly  willing  to  be  good  for  five  consecu- 
tive days  for  the  sake  of  enjoying  such 
squirrel  shooting  as  I  had  this  morning." 

As  the  nearest  way  to  the  village  was 
through  Mr.  Stebbins'  sheep  pasture,  George 
took  his  guests  across  the  lake  in  his  boat, 
thus  saving  them  a  three-mile  walk. 

After  putting  them  on  the  road,  and  giving 
them  explicit  directions  regarding  the  course 
they  were  to  follow  in  order  to  reach  the 
academy,  George  said  good-by,  and  set  out 
on  his  return  to  the  lake ;  but  while  he  was 
crossing  the  sheep  pasture  he  was  confronted 
by  Mr.  Stebbins,  who,  in  no  amiable  tones, 
demanded  to  know  what  he  was  doing  there, 
and  what  business  he  had  to  bring  those 
young  vagabonds  on  his  grounds. 

"  They  are  not  vagabonds,"  replied  George, 
with  some  spirit.  "  They  are  gentlemen,  and 
that  is  more  than  I  can  say  for  some  other 
people  I  know." 


A  PERSEVERING  DIVER.  89 

"  I  don't  want  none  of  your  sass  !"  snapped 
the  old  man,  angrily,  at  the  same  time  whisk- 
ing a  heavy  black  snake  whip  he  carried  in 
his  hand.  "  I  tell  you  that  I  don't  like  the 
looks  of  them  fellers." 

"  I  can't  help  it,  can  I  ?"  asked  George. 

"  I  never  slept  a  wink  t'other  night,"  con- 
tinued Mr.  Stebbins,  "  'cause  they  was  in  my 
barn,  an'  I  was  expectin'  every  minute  that 
they  would  break  into  my  house  an'  rob  me. 
I  don't  want  them  to  come  foolin'  round  here 
no  more.  You  hear  me  ?" 

"  Yes,  I  hear  you.  They  will  be  up  here 
again  next  Friday  night,  and  I  will  tell  them 
what  you  say." 

"  Wai,  they  shan't  sleep  in  my  barn  ag'in, 
if  they  do  come  up  here,  'cause  I'm  afeared 
of  'em.  Why  don't  they  stay  to  home,  where 
they  belong?  They've  got  no  'arthly  busi- 
ness up  here.  An'  I  tell  you  another  thing 
I  don't  like,"  went  on  Mr.  Stebbins,  flourish- 
ing his  whip  over  his  head.  "  Be  you  livin' 
over  there  on  t'other  side  of  the  lake  ?" 

The  boy  replied  that  he  was. 

"  I  thought  so,  'cause  I  seed  a  smoke  com- 


90          THE  MYSTEEY  OF  LOST  KIVEE  CANYON. 

in'  out  of  the  cliimbly.  Now  I  don't  want 
you  nor  nobody  else  over  there,  an7  I  won't 
have  it,  nuther." 

"  Is  my  cabin  on  your  grounds  ?"  ques- 
tioned George. 

"  No,  it  ain't,"  said  Mr.  Stebbins,  emphati- 
cally. 

"  Then  you  have  nothing  to  say  about  it.  I 
had  permission  from  the  man  who  owns  that 
land  to  build  my  cabin  there,  and  so  long  as 
he  does  not  object,  you  have  no  right  to  com- 
plain." 

"  Hain't  I  though  ?"  Mr.  Stebbins  almost 
shouted.  "  Wai,  I  shall  ask  the  selectmen 
about  that.  There's  a  poorhouse  pervided  for 
them  that  ain't  able  to  make  an  honest  livin' 
for  themselves." 

"  I  am  able  to  make  an  honest  living,"  said 
George,  with  no  little  indignation  in  his 
tones,  "  and  I  shall  not  go  to  the  poorhouse 
to  please  anybody." 

"You  ain't  your  own  boss  yet  by  a  few 
years,"  reminded  the  man,  with  a  sneer; 
"  an'  if  you're  too  stuck  up  to  earn  a  livin' 
by  hard  work,  like  an  honest  boy  had 


A  PERSE VEEING  DIVEE.  91 

ougliter  do,  you  may  find  yourself  in  jail,  the 
first  thing  you  know.  Iv'e  been  a-lookin'  for 
it,  'cause  there's  been  a  heap  of  stealin' — 
Wai,  go  on ;  but  remember  what  I'm  a-tellin' 

you." 

George,  who  was  too  angry  to  listen  to 
another  word,  hurried  down  to  the  beach, 
sprang  into  his  boat,  and  pushed  off  into 
deep  water. 

His  little  cabin  was  lonely  enough  now. 
He  missed  his  new  friends,  whom  he  had 
learned  to  like  during  his  short  acquaintance 
with  them,  and  his  interview  with  Mr.  Steb- 
bins  had  thrown  a  gloom  over  him  that  he 
could  not  shake  off. 


92          THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  EIVEK  CANYON. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

UNCLE  KUBEN  CALLS  AGAIN. 

DURING  the  next  few  days,  George  was 
permitted  to  live  in  peace,  but  we  can- 
not say  that  he  enjoyed  himself,  for  at  times 
he  felt  very  lonely,  and  bitter,  too. 

While  other  boys  in  the  village  were  given 
every  opportunity  to  work  their  way  up  in 
the  world,  he  had  been  driven  into  exile  by 
force  of  circumstances,  and  just  now  he  did 
not  see  how  he  could  better  his  condition. 

"  I  have  heard  people  say  that  it  is  always 
darkest  just  before  daylight,  and  if  that  is 
the  case,  my  day  must  be  close  at  hand," 
George  often  said  to  himself.  "  Things 
couldn't  look  darker  to  me  than  they  do  now ; 
but  if  a  canal  boy  can  become  President,  I 
don't  see  why  a  fisher-boy  cannot  become  a 
decent,  respected  member  of  society,  if  nothing 


UNCLE  KUBEN  CALLS  AGAIN.         93 

more.  I  shall  work  hard  for  it,  and  if  I  fail, 
it  will  not  be  my  fault." 

Every  other  day  George  carried  to  the  vil- 
lage a  nicely-dressed  string  of  fish,  for  which 
he  found  ready  sale,  bringing  back  with  him 
such  supplies  as  he  happened  to  need. 

He  always  found  everything  in  and  about 
the  cabin  just  as  he  had  left  it,  and  there  was 
nothing  to  indicate  that  there  had  been  any 
one  there  during  his  absence. 

But,  for  all  that,  there  had  been  visitors  at 
the  cabin  on  two  different  occasions.  These 
visitors  were  in  no  way  connected  with  each 
other,  although  they  had  the  same  object  in 
view,  as  we  shall  presently  see. 

The  first  to  come  was  a  party  of  three  boys 
— the  same  ones  that  George  had  met  at  the 
spring  a  few  days  before,  and  who  had  ex- 
hibited so  much  surprise  and  alarm  at  his 
sudden  appearance. 

Two  of  them  carried  bundles  under  their 
arms,  and  the  third  was  provided  with  a 
spade. 

That  they  did  not  want  to  be  seen  by  any- 
body was  evident.  They  spent  an  hour  or 


94          THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  RIVER  CANYON. 

more  in  reconnoitering  the  premises.  Having 
at  last  fully  satisfied  themselves  that  George 
was  nowhere  in  the  vicinity,  they  made  their 
way  hehind  the  cabin,  and  the  one  who 
carried  the  spade  set  to  work  to  dig  a  hole  in 
the  ground. 

This  being  done,  the  other  two  deposited 
their  bundles  in  it,  the  earth  was  thrown 
upon  them,  and  finally  dead  leaves  were 
spread  evenly  over  the  spot,  to  hide  all  traces 
of  their  labor. 

"  That's  about  the  idea/'  said  one  of  the 
party.  We've  put  evidence  enough  there  to 
remove  all  suspicion  from  ourselves." 

"  I  don't  think  much  of  it,"  said  another. 
"If  those  bundles  should  be  discovered  be- 
fore the  rest  of  the  work  is  done,  it  would 
spoil  everything." 

"  So  it  would,"  admitted  the  first  speaker. 
"  But  we  must  not  wait  long  enough  for  that. 
We  must  pay  our  visit  to  Stebbins'  some 
night  this  week.  Besides,  I  don't  see  that 
these  bundles  are  in  any  immediate  danger  of 
discovery.  The  constable  won't  go  to  prowling 
about  there  until  we  put  him  on  the  track." 


UNCLE  BUBEN  CALLS  AGAIN.  95 

"And  we  must  do  that  as  soon  as  we  can," 
said  the  one  who  had  not  spoken  before; 
"  for  the  sooner  George  is  compelled  to  leave 
this  neighborhood,  the  better  it  will  be  for 
us.  If  he  should  happen  to  stumble  on  our 
headquarters  during  his  rambles,  we  might 
find  ourselves  in  a  pretty  mess." 

The  boys  left  the  cabin  as  cautiously  as 
they  had  approached  it. 

And  the  next  visitor  who  came  was  none 
other  than  Uncle  Ruben,  who  looked  better 
natured  now  than  he  did  the  last  time  we  saw 
him. 

"I'll  fix  him,"  he  kept  muttering  to  himself. 
"  I'll  Tarn  him  to  throw  away  the  chance  of  a 
good  home,  when  he  might  have  had  it  jest  as 
well  as  not.  I  am  his  only  livin'  relation,  so 
to  speak,  an'  I  had  oughter  be  his  gardeen 
an'  have  the  profits  of  his  work  till  he  comes 
of  age ;  but  he  wouldn't  let  me,  an'  now  I'll 
put  him  where  he'll  have  to  work  for  noth- 
ing." 

Uncle  Ruben  also  carried  a  bundle  under 
his  arm,  and,  as  it  was  not  very  neatly  made 
up,  the  contents  of  it  could  have  been  named 


96          THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  RIVER  CANYON. 

by  any  one  who  had  chanced  to  meet  him  on 
the  road.  The  heads  of  a  couple  of  chickens, 
whose  necks  had  been  wrung,  stuck  out  of 
one  end  of  it,  while  two  pairs  of  yellow  legs 
projected  from  the  other. 

The  man  made  his  appearance  late  on 
Friday  afternoon.  He  was  not  as  stealthy  in 
his  movements  as  the  first  visitors  were,  for 
he  knew  that  the  coast  was  clear,  having  seen 
his  nephew  sail  up  the  lake  toward  Mr.  Steb- 
bins'  farm. 

What  business  the  boy  had  up  there  Uncle 
Ruben  did  not  know ;  but  of  course  his  sus- 
picions were  aroused,  and  it  was  not  long 
before  those  suspicions  gave  way  to  positive 
conviction. 

Having  hitched  his  old  clay-bank  back  in 
the  bushes,  out  of  sight,  Uncle  Ruben  has- 
tened to  the  rear  of  the  cabin,  and,  picking 
up  a  sharp  stick,  he  began  raking  away  the 
leaves  and  digging  in  the  ground,  thus  mak- 
ing it  evident  that  he  was  preparing  a  place 
of  concealment  for  the  chickens  he  had 
brought  with  him. 

By  the  merest    accident   he    struck   upon 


UNCLE  EUBEN  CALLS  AGAIN.         97 

the  very  spot  on  which  the  boys  of  whom 
we  have  spoken  had  hidden  their  bundles, 
and  he  was  not  long  in  bringing  them  to 
light 

"What  on  'arth  is  them?"  soliloquized 
Uncle  Ruben'  as  the  bundles  were  thrown  out 
of  the  hole  one  after  the  other. 

His  eyes  opened  to  their  widest  extent,  his 
under  jaw  dropped  down,  and  he  seemed  to 
be  very  much  disconcerted  by  the  discovery 
he  had  made. 

He  looked  all  around  to  make  sure  that 
he  was  alone,  and  then,  after  a  moment's  hesi- 
tation, he  dropped  down  on  his  knees  arrd 
began  untying  the  strings  with  which  the 
bundles  were  fastened. 

The  first  was  found  to  contain  half  a  dozen 
new  pocket-books,  and  a  bolt  of  fine  linen 
that  had  never  been  cut ;  and  the  second  was 
made  up  principally  of  razors,  revolvers, 
powder-  and  shot-flasks  and  jack-knives. 

"Now,  I  am  astonished,"  said  Uncle  Ru- 
ben ;  and  the  word  he  used  conveyed  but  a 
very  faint  idea  of  the  bewilderment  and  con- 
fusion into  which  his  mind  had  been  thrown 

7 


98          THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  EIVEK  CANYON. 

by  the  sight  of  the  articles  upon  which  he 
had  so  unexpectedly  stumbled.  "  I  never  did 
b'lieve  that  George  was  to  blame  for  them 
stores  bein'  broke  into,  but  what  is  a  feller 
to  think  of  this,  I'd  like  to  know?" 

Right  on  the  heels  of  this  question  came 
others  that  were  just  as  hard  to  answer. 

Should  he  put  the  bundles  back  as  he  found 
them,  and  let  matters  take  their  own  course  ? 
or,  would  it  be  better  to  await  George's  re- 
turn and  confront  him  with  the  evidence  of 
his  guilt,  at  the  same  time  promising  never 
to  lisp  a  word  of  it  to  anybody  if  the  boy 
would  consent  to  be  bound  out  to  him  until 
he  was  twenty-one  years  old  ? 

"There's  objections  to  both  them  plans," 
thought  Uncle  Ruben,  after  he  had  spent 
some  minutes  in  trying  to  find  a  way  out 
of  his  quandary,  "  George  had  oughter  be 
punished  for  refusin'  to  go  home  with  me  like 
I  wanted  him  to  do,  an'  if  he  is  shut  up  for 
a  thief  I  want  him  to  know  that  I  had  a  hand 
in  it.  That's  what  I  bring  them  chickens  up 
here  for.  But  if  he  is  shut  up,  he  won't  never 
come  nigh  me  arter  he  gets  out,  an'  I  ain't 


UNCLE  KUBEN  CALLS  AGAIN.         99 

by  no  means  sart'in  that  I  want  him  to ;  for, 
jest  as  like  as  not,  he'll  go  to  stealin'  from 
me.  Mebbe  I  had  better  go  home  and  sleep 
on  it." 

Having  come  to  this  conclusion,  Uncle  Ru- 
ben hastily  tied  up  the  bundles  again,  tossed 
them  back  into  the  hole  and  covered  them  up. 

He  had  already  wasted  considerable  time, 
and  being  anxious  to  reach  home  before  dark, 
he  did  not  stop  to  bury  the  chickens.  He 
simply  threw  them  into  the  bushes,  marking 
the  spot  on  which  they  fell,  so  that  he  could 
easily  find  them  again  if  circumstances  should 
require  it,  and  then  he  mounted  his  horse 
and  rode  away. 

Meanwhile,  George  Edwards  was  sitting  on 
a  log  by  the  side  of  the  road  that  led  from 
the  village  to  Mr.  Stebbins'  farm,  waiting  as 
patiently  as  he  could  for  the  coming  of  his 
exuected  friends,  Bob  Howard  and  Dick 
Langdori. 

Remembering  his  last  interview  with  the 
choleric  old  man,  and  the  orders  he  had  given 
regarding  his  "  vagabond "  acquaintances, 
George  had  landed  with  his  scow  in  a  little 


100       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  EIVER  CANYON, 

cove  near  the  promontory,  and  made  his  way 
by  a  roundabout  course  to  the  road,  in  order 
to  intercept  his  expected  guests  before  they 
crossed  the  sheep  pasture. 

He  did  not  want  them  to  be  insulted,  as 
he  knew  they  would  be  if  Mr.  Stebbins  should 
catch  them  on  his  grounds ;  but  still  he  need 
not  have  taken  so  much  pains  to  prevent  it, 
for  he  did  not  see  Dick  and  Bob  that  night. 

He  waited  for  them  until  long  after  dark, 
and  then  went  back  to  his  boat  and  pulled 
for  the  cabin,  feeling  very  lonely  indeed. 

"  I  have  looked  forward  to  this  night  with 
many  pleasurable  anticipations,  and  it  is  hard 
to  be  disappointed,"  thought  George.  "  The 
shanty  will  look  as  gloomy  now  as  it  did 
last  Saturday  when  those  fellows  first  went 
away.  Well,  I  will  hope  for  better  luck  next 
week." 

George  slept  but  little  that  night,  and  he 
was  up  the  next  morning  long  before  the  sun. 

Having  lighted  the  fire,  he  opened  the 
door,  and  the  first  objects  that  attracted  his 
attention,  as  he  stepped  across  the  threshold, 
were  two  boys  who  were  coining  down  the 


UNCLE  EUBEN  CALLS  AGAIN.        101 

beach  at  a  rapid  walk.     He  recognized  them 
at  a  glance. 

"  There  they  are  now !"  he  exclaimed,  pull- 
ing off  his  hat  and  swinging  it  about  his  head. 
"  They  have  brought  their  guns  and  fishing- 
rods  with  them,  and  each  one  has  a  pack  of 
something  on  his  back.  More  provisions,  I 
suppose.  They  haven't  come  from  the  village 
this  morning,  and  consequently  they  must 
have  laid  out  all  night." 

The  approaching  boys  answered  his  greet- 
ing by  flourishing  their  caps  in  the  air,  and 
George  hastened  to  meet  them,  fully  prepared 
to  laugh  at  them  for  losing  their  way,  when 
the  road  that  led  from  the  village  to  the 
lake  was  as  plain  as  the  beach  they  were 
then  following ;  but  as  he  drew  nearer  to 
them  he  saw  that  something  had  gone  wrong 
with  them. 

Their  faces  were  flushed,  and  their  quick, 
nervous  movements  showed  that  they  were 
excited  and  angry. 

"  What's  the  matter  ?"  asked  George.  "  And 
where  did  you  stay  last  night  ?  Did  you  miss 
your  way  ?" 


102       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  RIVER  CANYON. 

"  I  should  say  so/'  answered  Bob,  in  a  tone 
of  deep  disgust. 

"  And  you  had  to  stay  in  the  woods,  I  sup- 
pose ?" 

"  No,  we  didn't.  I  wish  to  goodness  we 
had.  We  camped  in  old  Stebbins'  barn  ;  and 
'  thereby  hangs  a  tale ' — one  that  will  astonish 
you,  too." 

"  I  am  very  sorry  you  went  near  that  barn," 
said  George.  "  If  you  had  come  up  here  last 
night — I  waited  for  you  at  the  road  until  after 
dark — I  should  have  told  you  that  the  old  fel- 
low gave  me  fits  for  taking  you  across  his 
sheep  pasture  last  Saturday.  He  had  a  good 
notion  to  horsewhip  me." 

"  He  had  a  good  notion  to  serve  us  worse 
than  that  this  morning,"  said  Dick  Langdon. 
"  But  don't  waste  any  more  time  in  standing 
here.  Bob  and  I  went  to  bed  without  any 
supper  to  speak  of,  and  we  are  as  hungry  as 
wolves." 

While  they  were  on  their  way  to  the  cabin, 
George  came  to  the  conclusion  that  his  friends 
must  have  had  a  very  animated  interview  with 
Mr.  Stebbins,  during  which  the  latter  had  said 


UNCLE  KUBEN  CALLS  AGAIN.        103 

some  things  that  were  in  the  highest  degree 
exasperating ;  for  they  grumbled  at  him  every 
step  they  took,  and  gave  full  and  free  expres- 
sion to  the  opinions  they  had  formed  concern- 
ing him. 

Having  relieved  himself  of  his  heavy  pack 
— a  neat  camper's  basket,  which  was  pro- 
vided with  straps  like  a  soldier's  knapsack, 
and  filled  so  full  of  something  that  a  cloth 
had  been  tied  over  the  top  to  keep  the  con- 
tents from  falling  out — and  deposited  his 
gun  and  fishing-rod  in  one  corner  of  the 
cabin,  Bob  Howard  took  possession  of  the 
bench  beside  the  door  and  said,  abruptly,  ad- 
dressing himself  to  George: 

"  You  remember  of  saying  something  to 
us  about  the  money  that  Mr.  Stebbins  is  sup- 
posed to  have  hidden  in  his  house,  do  you 
not?  Well,  sir,  three  masked  robbers  came 
there  last  night  and  tried  to  get  it.  At  least, 
they  tried  to  break  into  the  house,  and  we 
suppose  they  were  after  the  money." 

George  was  profoundly  astonished. 


104       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  EIVEK  CANYON. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

LOST    IN    THE   WOODS. 

*  *  T  suppose  you  don't  know  who  the  rob- 

J_  bers  were?"  said  George,  as  soon  as 
he  had  recovered  his  power  of  speech. 

"  No,  we  don't,"  answered  Bob  Howard. 
"  They  wore  masks,  as  I  told  you  ;  and,  be- 
sides, the  night  was  so  dark  that  we  could 
not  have  recognized  our  most  intimate  friends 
at  the  distance  we  were  from  them." 

"The  most  provoking  part  of  the  whole 
business  was  this/'  said  Dick  Langdon. 
"After  Bob  and  I  became  satisfied  that  the 
masked  parties,  whoever  they  were,  had  come 
there  for  no  good  purpose,  we  opened  fire  on 
them  and  drove  them  away.  And  what  did 
the  old  miser  do  to  repay  us  for  the  assistance 
we  rendered  him  ?" 

"  Did  he  ask  you  in  to  breakfast  ?"  inquired 
George,  who  knew  very  well  that  he  had 
done  nothing  of  the  kind. 


LOST  IN  THE  WOODS.  105 

"  Not  much  !"  was  Dick's  reply.  "  If  he 
had,  we  wouldn't  be  as  hungry  as  we  are  now. 
We  went  to  sleep  on  the  hay,  after  we  had 
frightened  the  robbers  away  from  the  house, 
and  the  first  thing  we  heard  this  morning 
was  a  war-whoop,  and  the  first  thing  we  saw, 
after  we  had  got  our  eyes  open,  was  old  Steb- 
bins,  who  was  standing  in  the  barn  door,  with 
a  shotgun  in  his  hands." 

"  It  was  pointed  straight  at  my  head,  too," 
said  Bob ;  "  and  I  really  thought,  by  the  way 
the  old  fellow  talked  and  acted,  that  he  was 
going  to  turn  loose  on  me.  I  believe  he 
would,  too,  if  it  hadn't  been  for  Dick,  who — 
You  don't  understand  it,  do  you  ?"  he  added, 
seeing  that  George  was  greatly  surprised  and 
bewildered.  "  Sit  down  here,  and  I  will  be- 
gin at  the  beginning,  and  tell  you  all  about 
it.  Breakfast  can  wait." 

Bob  settled  back  into  an  easy  position  on 
the  bench,  while  George  seated  himself  by 
his  side,  and  listened  with  much  interest  to 
the  story  of  his  friends'  adventure,  which  was 
related  substantially  as  follows  : 

When  Dick  and  Bob  returned  to  the  vil- 


106       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  KIVEK  CANYON. 

lage,  with  the  fine  string  of  bass  they  had 
caught  on  the  preceding  Saturday,  they 
quickly  found  themselves  surrounded  by  a 
crowd  of  their  schoolmates,  who  asked  a 
thousand  and  one  questions  regarding  their 
experience  in  the  woods,  and  demanded  the 
privilege  of  accompanying  them  on  their 
next  excursion. 

There  were  some  in  the  crowd  whom  the 
lucky  fishermen  would  not  have  taken  out  to 
the  lake  with  them  under  any  consideration 
whatever — mean,  overbearing  fellows,  who 
always  wanted  their  own  way  in  everything, 
and  who  would  not  have  seen  any  pleasure 
in  the  trip  themselves,  or  allowed  their  com- 
panions to  see  any. 

Others  there  were,  whose  presence  would 
have  added  to  everybody's  enjoyment ;  but 
George's  quarters  were  small,  and,  as  he  had 
not  told  them  to  bring  any  of  their  friends 
with  them  when  they  came  again,  the  boys 
did  not  feel  authorized  to  issue  any  invita- 
tions. They  gave  away  the  most  of  their 
bass,  the  principal,  of  course,  coming  in  for 
the  lion's  share. 


LOST  IN  THE  WOODS.  107 

It  is  probable  that  the  good  man  enjoyed 
his  Sunday  morning  breakfast,  or  else  Dick 
and  Bob  behaved  themselves  better  and  gained 
a  greater  number  of  credit  marks  than  the 
rest  of  the  students,  for  they  were  the  only 
ones  among  a  dozen  or  more  applicants  who 
received  permission  to  spend  the  next  Satur- 
day at  the  lake. 

They  packed  their  baskets  on  Friday  morn- 
ing, gave  their  guns  and  fishing-rods  a  good 
rubbing  up,  and  at  a  quarter-past  four  in  the 
afternoon  they  were  on  their  way  to  the 
woods ;  but  they  got  lost  before  they  were 
fairly  out  of  sight  of  the  village. 

They  were  quite  certain  they  had  taken 
the  right  road,  but  it  did  not  seem  at  all 
familiar  to  them.  When  Bob  said  this,  George 
broke  in  with : 

"  When  you  were  traveling  that  same  road 
last  Saturday,  did  you  stop  every  now  and 
then  to  look  behind  you  ?" 

No,  Bob  couldn't  say  that  they  did.  In  fact, 
he  couldn't  see  that  there  was  any  need  of  it, 
for  they  were  going  toward  the  village,  and 
not  toward  the  lake. 


108       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  RIVER  CANYON. 

"  That  was  the  very  reason  why  you  ought 
to  have  taken  your  bearings  occasionally," 
said  George.  "  Hereafter,  when  you  are 
traveling  through  a  piece  of  woods  with  which 
you  are  not  acquainted,  make  it  a  point  to 
stop  every  quarter  of  a  mile  or  so  and  look 
hack,  heing  careful  to  note  the  shape  of  the 
trees  and  the  lay  of  the  land.  If  you  will  do 
that  you  will  never  get  lost,  for  your  eye  will 
be  sure  to  rest  on  some  landmark  that  you 
will  recognize  when  you  return.'' 

Bob  remarked  that  he  would  bear  that  in 
mind,  and  went  on  with  his  story. 

They  must  have  strayed  away  from  the 
main  thoroughfare,  he  said,  for  all  of  a  sudden 
the  road  they  were  following  came  to  an 
end  in  a  brush-heap. 

They  tried  to  retrace  their  steps  but  found 
they  couldn't  do  it;  and  the  longer  they 
walked,  the  more  hopelessly  bewildered  did 
they  become. 

Knowing  that  the  lake  lay  somewhere  to 
the  north  of  them,  they  took  the  points  of 
the  compass  from  the  sun,  which  had  by  this 
time  sunk  so  low  in  the  west  that  his  beams 


LOST  IN  THE  WOODS.  109 

just  touched  the  tops  of  the  tallest  trees,  and, 
making  no  further  effort  to  find  the  road  they 
had  lost,  they  drew  a  bee-line  through  the 
woods,  scrambling  over  fallen  logs  and  forc- 
ing their  way  with  difficulty  through  the 
dense  thickets  of  trees  and  bushes  that  lay 
in  their  path. 

For  a  time,  they  held  their  course  with 
tolerable  accuracy,  but  when  the  sun  set  and 
the  woods  became  so  dark  that  they  could 
scarcely  see  each  other's  faces,  Dick  Lang- 
don,  who  was  a  city  boy  and  entirely  unac- 
customed to  severe  and  long-continued  exer- 
tion, declared  that  he  was  completely  fagged 
out,  and  that  he  could  not  possibly  go  any 
further. 

"  My  back  aches  under  this  heavy  pack,  and 
my  gun  and  rod  seem  to  weigh  a  ton,"  said  he, 
with  a  despairing  groan.  "  We  can't  find 
George's  cabin  to-night." 

"  And  I  have  my  doubts  about  finding  it  in 
the  morning/'  said  Bob,  cheerfully.  "  If  you 
want  to  camp  here  all  night,  scrape  some  of 
these  dry  leaves  together  and  start  a  blaze, 
while  I  look  around  for  some  firewood." 


110       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  EIVER  CANYON. 

"  I  wish  now  that  we  had  shot  some  of  the 
squirrels  that  had  the  impudence  to  bark  at 
us  as  we  came  along,"  said  Dick,  depositing 
his  heavy  basket  at  the  foot  of  the  nearest 
tree,  and  drawing  together  a  pile  of  leaves, 
as  his  companion  had  requested.  "  They 
would  have  made  a  good  supper  for  us ;  but, 
as  it  is,  we  shall  have  to  be  satisfied  with 
bread  and  butter  and  a  cup  of  tea.  Hand  out 
the  matches." 

"  I  have  none.  Didn't  you  bring  some  with 
you?" 

"  No.  I  didn't  suppose  we  should  need  any." 

Bob  uttered  a  low,  long-drawn  whistle. 

"  Here's  the  mischief  to  pay,  and  nothing 
to  pay  it  with,"  said  he.  "  We've  got  a  gloomy 
night  before  us,  Dick,  but  that  needn't  worry 
you  any.  It's  nothing  when  you  get  used  to  it." 

"  No  matches  !"  exclaimed  Dick,  trying  to 
pierce  the  almost  impenetrable  darkness  with 
eyes  that  must  have  been  very  badly  fright- 
ened, for  they  persisted  in  transforming  every 
tree  and  bush  into  some  dangerous  beast  that 
was  about  to  open  hostilities.  "  No  matches  !" 
he  repeated,  shivering  all  over  as  the  mourn- 


LOST  IN  THE  WOODS.  Ill 

ful  hoot  of  a  distant  owl  came  faintly  to  his 
ears.  "  Bob,  I  wouldn't  stay  here  all  night 
without  fire  for  all  the  money  there  is  in 
America." 

"  Why,  what's  the  matter?"  asked  Bob,  who 
was  very  much  surprised. 

As  it  was  nothing  new  for  him  to  pass  a 
night  in  the  woods,  he  didn't  care  whether  he 
had  a  fire  to  sit  by  or  not,  and  he  could  not 
imagine  why  his  companion  should  exhibit 
so  much  timidity. 

"There  is  nothing  in  this  country  bigger 
than  a  raccoon — " 

"  I  know  that,"  interrupted  Dick ;  but  I 
don't  want  to  stay  here  in  the  dark.  I  would 
much  rather  go  on,  tired  as  I  am." 

"  All  right,"  replied  Bob,  who  thought  so 
much  of  Dick  that  he  was  willing  to  do  any- 
thing that  would  add  to  his  comfort.  Grab 
hold  of  my  coat-tail,  and  I  will  lead  you  out 
of  this,  if  I  can.  Keep  your  arm  before  your 
face,  so  the  bushes  will  not  hit  you  when  they 
fly  back." 

"  He'd  make  a  good  one  to  spend  a  night 
in  the  mountains,  where  grizzlies  and  pan- 


112       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  EIVER  CANYON. 

thers  are  plenty,  wouldn't  he?"  added  Bob 
to  himself.  "  If  he  is  startled  by  the  hoot  of 
an  owl,  how  would  he  act  while  listening  to 
such  a  serenade  as  a  pack  of  gray  wolves  could 
give  him  ?" 

Bob  was  hungry  and  tired,  too,  and  would 
have  preferred  a  cold  bite  and  a  sound  sleep 
under  the  lee  of  some  friendly  log  to  a  fa- 
tiguing tramp  through  the  woods  that  were 
almost  pitch  dark ;  but  still,  he  did  not  com- 
plain. 

Using  the  butt  of  his  fishing-rod  as  a  cane, 
he  felt  his  way  through  the  darkness,  and 
presently,  to  his  great  surprise,  as  well  as  de- 
light, he  found  himself  on  solid  ground,  and 
saw  the  stars  looking  down  at  him  through 
an  opening  in  the  trees. 

"  I  declare,  Dick,  we  have  stumbled  upon 
the  road  at  last,"  he  said ;  and  in  order  to 
make  sure  of  it,  he  bent  down  and  passed  his 
hand  over  the  ground.  "  It  is  the  road,"  he 
repeated,  "  for  I  can  feel  the  ruts  made  by  the 
wheels.  Now,  let's  hurry  on,  and  we  will  soon 
find  out  how  far  we  are  from  Mr.  Stebbins'  barn. 
I  don't  suppose  the  old  fellow  will  like  it — " 


LOST  IN  THE  WOODS.  113 

"  We  don't  care  whether  he  likes  it  or  not/' 
broke  in  Dick,  who  was  so  weary  that  he 
could  hardly  drag  one  foot  after  the  other. 
"  We'll  sleep  there,  all  the  same,  and  if  we 
leave  in  the  morning  before  he  comes  out, 
he  will  never  know  that  we  have  been  near 
his  old  barn." 

Fortunately,  the  sheltering  roof  of  which 
they  were  now  in  search  was  not  far  away. 

About  half  a  mile  further  on,  they  came  to 
the  sheep  pasture,  and,  when  they  had  crossed 
it,  they  found  themselves  standing  in  front  of 
Mr.  Stebbins'  barn,  which  was  no  whit  darker 
or  gloomier  than  the  dwelling-house  that  was 
but  a  short  distance  away. 

It  was  evident  that  the  owner  of  the  pre- 
mises had  gone  to  bed,  and,  as  they  knew 
better  than  to  arouse  him  in  order  to  obtain 
permission  to  sleep  on  the  hay,  they  opened 
the  door  and  entered  without  ceremony ;  but 
they  could  not  close  the  door  behind  them, 
for  the  only  fastening  that  had  been  provided 
for  it  was  a  wooden  pin,  which  fitted  into  an 
auger  hole  on  the  outside  of  the  casing. 

Having  seen  the  inside  of  the  barn  in  broad 


114       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  RIVER  CANYON. 

daylight,  the  boys  knew  just  how  it  was  ar- 
ranged, and  consequently  they  had  no  diffi- 
culty in  finding  a  way  to  the  hay-mow. 

Dick  threw  himself  down  upon  it  with  a 
sigh  of  relief,  and  prepared  to  go  to  sleep ; 
while  Bob,  whose  empty  stomach  had  long 
been  calling  for  something  nourishing,  thrust 
his  hand  into  his  basket  and  finally  fished 
out  a  sandwich. 

"  Better  take  a  bite  before  you  go  off  into 
the  land  of  dreams,"  he  said  to  his  companion. 
"  We  shall  have  no  breakfast  until  we  reach 
George's  cabin,  and  that  is  at  least  two  miles 
from  here." 

Dick  was  too  sleepy  to  make  any  response ; 
so  Bob  left  off  bothering  him,  and  sat  there 
in  the  dark,  munching  his  sandwich  and  won- 
dering what  the  academy  fellows  would  say 
when  they  learned  that  he,  a  born  backwoods- 
man, had  been  lost  in  a  little  piece  of  timber 
that  was  scarcely  larger  than  one  of  his  father's 
sheep-farms. 

He  came  very  near  falling  asleep  while  he 
was  thinking  about  it;  but,  all  on  a  sudden, 
he  was  aroused  to  full  consciousness  by  the 


LOST  IN  THE  WOODS.  115 

sound  of  voices  and  footsteps  outside  the  barn. 
An  instant  later,  a  head  was  thrust  in  at  the 
open  door.  Bob  could  see  it  very  distinctly, 
because  it  was  between  him  and  the  light ; 
but  the  eyes  that  belonged  to  the  head  could 
not  distinguish  Bob's  form,  for  the  barn  was 
as  dark  as  a  pocket. 

"It  is  a  party  of  our  fellows  who  have 
taken  French  leave,  found  their  way  up  here 
by  accident,  and  who  intend  to  have  a  day's 
sport  at  fishing,  in  spite  of  the  principal's 
prohibition,"  thought  Bob,  as  he  rested  his 
elbows  on  his  knees,  and  waited  to  see  what 
the  newcomers  were  going  to  do.  "As  the 
owner  of  this  hotel  is  not  present,  and  Dick 
is  fast  asleep,  I  think  it  nothing  more  than 
fair  that  I  should  act  as  master  of  ceremonies 
and  give  them  a  hearty  greeting." 

Before  he  could  act  on  this  resolution,  the 
newcomers  entered  the  barn.  There  were 
three  of  them,  and  Bob  saw  at  once  that 
they  had  come  there  with  a  well-defined  ob- 
ject in  view,  for  they  said  and  did  some 
things  that  astonished  and  alarmed  him. 


116       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  KIVEK  CANYON. 


CHAPTER   X. 

THE    MASKED    ROBBERS. 

*  *  rpHIS  is  a  good  place  to  put  on  our  dis- 
JL  guises,  fellows,"  said  one  of  the  in- 
truders, in  a  low  tone.  u  In  ten  minutes  more 
we  shall  be  rich  men.  All  we  have  to  do  is 
to  act  quickly  and  silently,  and  the  money 
is  ours." 

As  he  spoke  he  drew  from  his  pocket  some- 
thing that  looked  like  a  piece  of  cloth,  and, 
after  shaking  out  the  folds,  he  went  through 
with  some  manipulations,  which  Bob,  owing 
to  the  darkness,  could  not  distinctly  see. 

The  others  followed  his  example,  and  when 
one  of  them  stepped  into  plain  view  in  front 
of  the  open  door,  Bob  saw  that  his  face  was 
concealed  by  a  bag  drawn  over  his  head. 

"  What  in  the  world  is  the  meaning  of  that, 
I  wonder  ?"  soliloquized  the  silent  watcher, 


THE  MASKED  BOBBERS.  117 

who  was  utterly  bewildered  by  these  strange 
proceedings.  "  It  looks  suspicious,  to  say  the 
least.  It's  a  lucky  thing  for  Dick  and  me 
that  I  didn't  speak  to  them  ;  and  in  order  to 
be  on  the  safe  side — " 

"  Listen  !  listen  I"  suddenly  exclaimed  one 
of  the  intruders,  in  an  excited  whisper. 

The  speaker  and  his  companions  instantly 
became  as  motionless  as  so  many  blocks  of 
wood,  and  Bob  Howard  held  his  breath  in 
suspense. 

He  had  tried  to  draw  his  gun  toward  him, 
intending  to  put  a  cartridge  into  each  barrel, 
and  so  prepare  himself  for  any  emergency 
that  might  arise. 

The  rustling  he  made  in  the  hay,  slight  as 
it  was,  reached  the  ears  of  one  of  the  intruders 
and  alarmed  them. 

"  I  was  certain  I  heard  something,"  con- 
tinued the  latter,  in  the  same  cautious  whisper. 

"No  doubt  you  did,"  replied  one  of  his 
companions,  with  some  impatience  in  his  tones. 
"I  have  heard  something  ever  since  I  have 
been  in  the  barn.  I  have  heard  horses  stamp- 
ing and  the  cows  eating  their  hay." 


118       THE  MYSTEEY  OF  LOST  EIVEE  CANYON. 

"  But  I  heard  something  else — I  know  I 
did.  It  was  a  faint,  rustling  sound — " 

"  Oh,  come  now  !  We  have  heard  enough 
of  that.  You  are  altogether  too  chicken- 
hearted  for  this  business,  Benson.  How  will 
you  act  when  you  get  on  the  plains,  among 
those — " 

"  Careful !  careful !    That  is  not  my  name." 

"  Well,  young  Jesse  James,  then,  if  that 
suits  you  any  better !  But  I  must  say  that 
if  your  prototype  were  here,  he  would  be 
ashamed  of  you." 

"  I  have  just  as  much  right  to  take  that 
name  as  you  have  to  take  the  name  of  Wild 
Harry,"  was  the  spirited  retort. 

"I  can't  see  it!  I  have  always  done  my 
share  of  work,  without  any  croaking ;  and 
you  haven't.  Mark  my  words  !  If  we  ever 
get  into  trouble,  it  will  be  through  you,  and 
nobody  else." 

"  That  will  do,  boys  !"  said  the  third  mem- 
ber of  the  party,  who  had  not  spoken  before. 
"Don't  let's  have  any  quarreling.  If  we  are 
ready,  let  us  be  moving.  The  sooner  we  begin, 
the  sooner  we  shall  get  through  with  it." 


THE  MASKED  ROBBERS.  119 

"  I  am  ready,"  said  the  one  who  had  done 
the  most  of  the  talking,  and  whose  voice 
seemed  strangely  familiar  to  Bob.  t(  Now, 
remember  that  this  night's  work  is  going  to 
be  a  test  of  our  courage.  If  we  can't  make 
it  successful,  we  have  no  business  to  think 
of  going  out  West.  Stebbins  and  his  wife 
are  as  deaf  as  posts,  and  if  we  move  with 
due  caution  they  will  not  know  that  we  have 
been  in  the  house  until  we  are  out  and  gone. 
If  they  chance  to  wake  up — well,  we  all  know 
what  to  do  in  that  case." 

The  speaker  led  the  way  out  of  the  barn, 
and  he  and  his  companions  moved  toward 
the  house  with  stealthy  footsteps,  leaving  Bob 
Howard  trembling  all  over  with  excitement 
and  alarm. 

As  soon  as  he  was  certain  that  they  were 
out  of  hearing,  he  laid  his  hand  on  his  friend's 
shoulder  and  shook  him  gently. 

" Dick  !  Dick  !  Wake  up  here!"  said  Bob, 
in  a  suppressed  whisper.  "  Do  you  hear  me, 
Dick  ?" 

Yes,  Dick  heard  him,  but  he  didn't  want 
to  wake  up.  He  was  too  tired.  He  muttered 


120       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  EIVEE  CANYON. 

something  in  reply,  and  rolled  over  to  find  an 
easier  position. 

"  I  say,  Dick,  wake  up  here !"  repeated 
Bob,  throwing  more  strength  and  energy 
into  his  efforts.  "  There's  robbery  going  on  !" 

"Who  cares?"  said  Dick,  drowsily.  "I 
haven't  got  anything  worth  stealing." 

"  But  Mr.  Stebbins  has,"  urged  Bob,  retain- 
ing his  hold  of  his  companion's  shoulder  and 
rolling  him  from  side  to  side,  in  spite  of  the 
latter's  efforts  to  shake  him  off.  "  He's  got  a 
lot  of  money  in  the  house — the  money  that 
George  Edwards  told  us  about,  you  know — 
and  three  robbers  have  come  here  to  get  it. 
You've  come  to  your  senses  at  last,  have 
you?"  he  added,  as  Dick  straightened  up, 
with  an  exclamation  of  astonishment. 

Seeing  that  he  had  succeeded  in  making 
his  friend  understand  the  situation,  Bob  pro- 
ceeded to  give  a  hurried  account  of  what  he 
had  seen  and  heard  during  the  last  few  min- 
utes, adding  a  piece  of  information  that  fairly 
stunned  the  listener. 

"  The  voice  of  the  one  who  had  the  most 
to  say,  and  who  seemed  to  be  the  leader  of 


THE  MASKED  BOBBERS.  121 

the  gang,  sounded  wonderfully  like  Arthur 
Wallace's,"  said  Bob,  "and  he  called  one  of 
his  companions  '  Benson  !'  ' 

"  Good  gracious !"  exclaimed  Dick.  "  It 
couldn't  have  been  Jim  Benson  ?" 

"Answer  the  question  for  yourself,"  re- 
plied Bob.  "All  I  know  about  it  is  this: 
Whoever  they  are,  they  have  been  engaged 
in  business  of  this  kind  before  to-night,  and 
when  they  are  out  on  their  raids,  they  drop 
their  own  names  and  answer  to  others.  One 
of  them,  the  timid  one,  is  young  Jesse  James, 
and  the  leader  is  Wild  Harry.  Who  the 
third  one  is,  I  don't  know ;  but  I  would  almost 
swear  that  his  right  name  is  Will  Forbes.'' 

"  It  can't  be  possible  I"  said  Dick.  "  Do 
you  suppose  that  any  of  our  academy  boys — 
Bob  Howard,  you  have  been  asleep  and 
dreamed  it  all !" 

"  Have  I,  though  ?  Dare  you  go  out  of 
the  barn  with  me  and  see  for  yourself?  If 
we  don't  find  some  robbers  about  that  house 
I  will  give  in,  and  admit  that  I  fell  asleep 
without  knowing  it." 

The  answer  that  Bob  received  to  this  chal- 


122       THE  MYSTEEY  OF  LOST  BIVER  CANYON. 

lenge  was  the  click  of  Dick's  gun  as  lie 
opened  the  spring  and  released  the  barrels. 
He  pushed  a  cartridge  into  each  chamber, 
buckled  his  belt  about  his  waist  and  crept 
toward  the  ladder,  Bob  following  silently 
after  him,  and  marvelling  greatly  all  the 
while. 

The  boy  who  was  afraid  to  camp  all  night 
in  the  woods  without  a  fire,  even  though  he 
knew  that  there  was  nothing  there  that  could 
harm  him,  was  brave  enough  to  face  a  party 
of  robbers,  who  would  doubtless  fight  to  the 
death  rather  than  allow  themselves  to  be 
captured. 

Having  felt  their  way  down  the  ladder, 
the  two  boys  went  to  the  door  and  looked 
cautiously  out  of  it.  A  single  glance  was 
enough  to  satisfy  Dick  that  his  companion 
had  not  been  dreaming.  There  were  three 
dark  forms  standing  in  the  shadow  of  the 
wood-shed. 

They  had  made  good  progress  with  their 
work,  for  just  as  Dick  thrust  his  head  out 
at  the  door,  the  shutters  that  protected  the 
window  swung  noiselessly  open,  and  a  ninute 


THE  MASKED  BOBBERS.  123 

later-  the  window  itself  was  heard  to  slide 
back  from  its  place. 

"  They  are  robbers,  sure  enough/'  whis- 
pered Dick,  excitedly.  "  What  shall  we  do 
now  ?  Rush  out  there  and  try  to  take  them  f 

"  By  no  means  !"  replied  Bob,  who,  judging 
the  marauders  by  the  desperadoes  that  were 
so  common  in  his  own  country,  considered 
that  the  attempt  would  be  foolhardy  in  the 
extreme.  "  They  are  armed,  of  course,  and 
they  would  shoot  us  on  sight.  Let's  drive 
them  away.  That's  all  we  can  do." 

There  was  no  time  to  discuss  this  proposi- 
tion, for  while  Bob  was  speaking  one  of  the 
robbers  clambered  through  the  window.  The 
others  were  about  to  follow,  when  they  were 
frightened  almost  out  of  their  senses  by  the 
roar  of  a  fowling-piece  behind  them,  accom- 
panied by  a  shower  of  bird-shot,  which  rattled 
harmlessly  among  the  chips  at  their  feet. 

They  stood  silent  and  motionless  for  a  mo- 
ment, and  then  another  report  and  a  sec- 
ond charge  of  shot  completed  their  discom- 
fiture. 

The  two  who  were  on  the  outside  of  the 


124       THE  MYSTEKY  OF  LOST  EIVEB  CANYON. 

wood-shed  took  to  their  heels  in  short  order. 
The  one  on  the  inside  came  out  of  the  win- 
dow with  such  haste  that  he  missed  his  foot- 
ing, and  measured  his  length  on  the  ground, 
and  soon  all  three  of  the  robbers  darted 
around  the  corner  of  the  house  and  disap- 
peared. 

"  There !"  said  Bob,  with  a  sigh  of  satisfac- 
tion. "  We  have  done  one  good  deed  if  we 
never  do  another  as  long  as  we  live.  We  have 
saved  the  old  man's  money,  but  I  don't  sup- 
pose we  shall  get  '  Thank  you  !'  for  it.  Let's 
go  and  shut  that  window." 

It  was  a  fortunate  thing  for  the  two  boys 
that  Bob  thought  of  this,  and  they  found  it 
out  presently. 

While  they  were  walking  across  the  yard 
toward  the  wood-shed,  a  window  in  the  main 
part  of  the  building  was  cautiously  raised,  a 
stream  of  fire  issued  from  the  opening,  a  re- 
port, like  that  of  a  small  cannon,  rang  out 
on  the  air,  and  a  handful  of  buckshot  went 
whistling  toward  the  barn. 

"  The  old  fellow  was  prepared  to  defend 
himself,  wasn't  he  ?"  said  Dick.  "  A  charge 


THE  MASKED  ROBBERS.  125 

from  that  blunderbuss  would  clean  out  a 
dozen  robbers." 

Then  raising  his  voice,  he  called  out : 

"  No  use  in  wasting  any  more  ammunition, 
Mr.  Stebbins.  They  are  gone." 

"  There's  no  use  in  wasting  your  breath  in 
that  fashion,  either,"  said  Bob.  "  He's  so  deaf 
he  can  hardly  hear  it  thunder.  Come  back 
into  the  barn  and  let  the  window  go." 

"  Hold  on  !"  replied  Dick.  "  Perhaps  he 
will  come  out,  so  that  we  can  explain  matters 
to  him." 

"  No,  he  won't,"  said  Bob,  earnestly.  "  He 
is  frightened  half  to  death,  and  he  will  not 
show  his  head  before  daylight.  It  would  be 
dangerous  for  his  most  intimate  friend  to  come 
near  the  house  now,  for  he  will  stand  guard  at 
that  window,  and  shoot  at  every  living  thing 
he  sees,  without  stopping  to  ask  questions." 

It  was  with  a  good  deal  of  reluctance  that 
Dick  consented  to  follow  his  friend's  advice, 
for  he  thought  it  looked  like  a  confession  of 
guilt  on  their  part ;  but  he  did  follow  it,  and 
he  afterwards  learned  that  it  was  the  very  best 
thing  he  could  have  done. 


126       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  RIVER  CANYON. 

If  he  and  Bob  had  attempted  to  approach 
the  house  in  order  to  explain  matters  to  its 
terrified  inmates,  one  or  the  other  of  them 
would  have  been  killed  beyond  a  doubt. 

They  retreated  to  the  barn  before  Mr.  Steb- 
bins  could  reload  his  ponderous  musket,  felt 
their  way  to  the  mow,  and  sat  down  on  the 
hay  to  think  over  the  events  of  the  night. 

"  When  we  left  school  this  afternoon,  we 
didn't  dream  of  such  a  thing  as  this — did 
we  ?"  said  Dick,  who  was  the  first  to  break 
the  silence.  "  I  say,  Bob,  it's  a  lucky  thing 
for  Mr.  Stebbins  that  we  got  lost.  If  we  had 
come  straight  to  the  lake  and  gone  on  to 
George's  cabin,  there's  no  telling  what  these 
robbers  would  have  done  after  they  gained  a 
footing  in  the  house." 

"If  they  didn't  show  more  pluck  in  the 
house  than  they  did  out  of  it,  they  wouldn't 
have  accomplished  anything,"  replied  Bob. 
"  I  didn't  expect  we  could  drive  them  away 
so  easily ;  but  they  showed  themselves  to  be 
perfect  cowards.  There's  one  thing  that  bangs 
me  completely,"  added  Bob,  pulling  off  his 
hat  and  digging  his  fingers  into  his  head,  as 


THE  MASKED  ROBBERS.  127 

if  lie  were  trying  to  stir  up  his  ideas.  "  Who 
were  those  fellows  ?  That  is  what  I  want  to 
know." 

"  There's  something  queer  about  that.  You 
thought  you  recognized  Wallace's  voice,  and 
Forbes',  and  you  heard  one  of  the  party  ad- 
dressed as  Benson  ?" 

"  I  did,  and  his  voice  sounded  like  Ben- 
son's, too." 

"  But  you  don't  think  it  was  he  ?" 

"  Why,  of  course  not,"  replied  Bob,  who, 
now  that  his  excitement  was  over,  was  able  to 
take  a  calmer  and — as  he  thought — more 
sensible  view  of  the  situation.  "  There  is  more 
than  one  fellow  in  the  world  by  the  name  of 
Benson." 

But  this  reflection  did  not  satisfy  Bob,  or 
Dick  either. 

They  fell  asleep  while  they  were  talking 
.the  matter  over,  and  slumbered  peacefully 
until  daylight,  when  they  were  awakened  by 
a  series  of  frightful  yells,  and  started  up  to 
find  Mr.  Stebbins  standing  in  the  open 
door. 

His  wrinkled  face  was  distorted  with  rage, 


128       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  RIVER  CANYON. 

and  he  held  in  his  hands  an  old  flint-lock 
musket,  which  he  pointed  straight  at  Bob's 
head. 

He  looked  dangerous. 


AN  ANGRY  MISEE.  129 


CHAPTER  XL 

AN    ANGRY   MISEK. 

"  I  say !"  shouted  Mr.  Stebbins,  in  a  sten- 
torian voice.  "  Be  you  gone  clean  deaf— you 
two  ?  Come  down  from  there,  I  tell  you,  or 
I'll  send  you  to  kingdom  come  afore  you  can 
bat  your  eyes." 

The  astonished  boys  lost  no  time  in  waking 
up.  The  sight  of  the  cocked  gun  and  the 
angry  man's  face  was  enough  to  banish  sleep 
most  effectually. 

"  I  knowed  you  was  here  for  no  good  the 
first  time  I  seen  you,"  continued  Mr.  Steb- 
bins. "  Your  gun  and  your  poles  is  only  a 
blind  to  make  folks  b'lieve  that  you  come  up 
here  to  hunt  and  fish  ;  but  I  know  you.  I 
seen  you  run  in  here  after  shootin'  off  your 
guns  to  skeer  me ;  but  I've  got  a  gun,  too,  an' 
I  know  how  to  use  it.  Come  down  from  there, 
I  say  !  Come  down,  an'  clear  out !" 


130       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  KIVER  CANYON. 

The  boys  began  to  understand  the  matter 
now,  and  Dick  saw  at  once  that  it  was  neces- 
sary to  take  some  precautions  for  the  safety 
of  himself  and  his  friend. 

The  old  man  was  so  highly  excited  that  he 
hardly  knew  what  he  was  doing.  His  finger 
was  resting  on  the  trigger  of  his  ancient 
flint-lock,  and,  if  the  weapon  should  be  dis- 
charged by  any  accident,  Bob  Howard  would 
never  ^now  what  hurt  him. 

In  order  to  avoid  this  danger,  Dick  thought 
it  best  to  compel  Mr.  Stebbins  to  lower  his 
gun,  which  he  did  by  picking  up  his  double- 
barrel  and  resting  it  across  his  knees  in  such 
a  way  that  its  muzzle  was  directed  toward  the 
old  man's  head. 

"What  are  you  about  there?"  yelled  the 
latter. 

He  took  the  flint-lock  down  from  his 
shoulder,  sprang  through  the  door  with  sur- 
prising agility,  and  then  turned  around  and 
looked  back,  keeping  his  body  concealed,  and 
showing  nothing  but  his  eyes  and  two  little 
tufts  of  stiff  gray  hair. 

"  Turn  that  we'pon  t'other  way,"  said  he, 


AN  ANGRY  MISER.  131 

his  rage  giving  way  to  alarm.  "  I  don't  like 
it." 

"  Do  you  suppose  that  we  like  to  look  into 
the  muzzle  of  a  cocked  gun  any  better  than 
you  do  ?"  demanded  Dick.  "  Come  on,  Bob  ; 
let's  go  down  there." 

The  boys  slung  their  baskets  on  their  backs, 
picked  up  their  fishing-rods,  and  descended 
to  the  barn  floor. 

As  they  passed  out  into  the  open  air,  they 
took  note  of  the  fact  that  the  door  was  riddled 
with  buckshot.  If  they  had  stood  there  in- 
stead of  going  toward  the  house,  to  close  the 
shutter  which  the  robbers  had  left  open  in 
their  hurried  flight,  one  or  the  other  of  them 
would  have  received  some  of  those  shot  in 
his  body. 

When  they  got  out  of  the  barn,  they  were 
surprised  to  find  that  Mr.  Stebbins  had  beat 
a  hasty  retreat.  He  had  taken  refuge  in  the 
wood-shed,  and  all  they  could  see  of  him  was 
the  top  of  his  head  above  the  window-sill. 

He  held  his  gun  so  that  he  could  bring  it 
to  his  shoulder  very  quickly  if  circumstances 
should  seem  to  require  it.  Believing  his  posi- 


132       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  EIVEK  CANYON. 

tion  to  be  impregnable,  he  had  grown  savage 
again. 

"Now,  then,  clear  out!"  he  shouted,  as 
soon  as  the  boys  came  into  view.  "  But 
mind  what  I  say — this  thing  ain't  a-goin'  to 
be  dropped  here." 

"  We'd  rather  it  wouldn't  be  dropped  here," 
replied  Dick.  "  If  you  will  put  down  your 
gun,  and  come  out  here  so  that  we  can  talk  to 
you,  we  shall  be  glad  to  explain  matters." 

"  They  don't  need  any  explainin' !"  snarled 
Mr.  Stebbins.  "I  understand  'em  already. 
I  can  see  as  fur  into  a  grindstone  as  the  next 
man,  old  as  I  be.  Clear  yourselves." 

"  Don't  waste  any  more  time  with  him," 
said  Bob,  who  was  utterly  disgusted  at  the 
old  man's  obstinacy.  "  You  might  as  well 
argue  with  a  pig." 

"  But  he  thinks  we  are  the  ones  who  tried 
to  rob  him,"  replied  Dick. 

"  I  know  it ;  and  he  will  continue  to  think 
so,  no  matter  what  you  say  to  him." 

"Be  you  goin'  to  clear  out,  you  two?" 
shouted  the  old  man,  in  impatient  tones. 
"I'm  a' most  tired  of  waitin'  to  see  the  last 


AN  ANGRY  MISER.  133 

of  you  ;  but  I'll  tell  you  ag'in  that  this  thing 
ain't  a-goin'  to  be  dropped  here.  I  won't 
have  you  prowlin'  around  my  house  no  more." 

"  You  need  not  worry  about  that,"  yelled 
Bob  in  reply.  "  You  may  be  sure  that  we 
shall  take  particular  pains  to  steer  clear  of 
you  in  future." 

"  I  bet  you  will !  I'll  have  you  locked  up 
so  tight  that  you  won't  never  try  to  break 
into  any  other  house.  Mind  that !" 

Having  no  desire  to  prolong  an  interview 
that  could  bring  forth  no  good  result,  Dick 
and  Bob  made  no  further  effort  to  induce  the 
angry  old  man  to  listen  to  the  explanation 
they  had  to  offer.  They  turned  about  and 
walked  away. 

As  Mr.  Stebbins  saw  the  distance  between 
them  and  the  house  increasing,  his  courage 
all  came  back  to  him,  and  he  began  to  show 
more  of  his  precious  anatomy  above  the 
window-sill,  and  to  shout  after  them  the  most 
abusive  words. 

Twice  he  made  a  movement  indicative  of 
a  desire  to  bring  his  flint-lock  to  bear  on  the 
boys ;  but,  as  often  as  he  did  so,  Dick  and 


134       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  RIVER  CANYON. 

Bob  dropped  their  double-barrels  into  the 
hollow  of  their  arms,  so  that  the  muzzles 
covered  the  window,  and  then  the  old  man 
would  draw  himself  down  out  of  sight. 

In  a  few  minutes  the  bushes  that  lined  the 
shore  of  the  lake  shut  the  house  out  from 
their  view ;  but  it  was  not  until  a  long  time 
afterward  that  the  yells  and  maledictions  of 
the  half-crazed  occupant  of  the  wood-shed 
ceased  to  ring  in  their  ears. 

This,  we  repeat,  was  the  substance  of  the 
story  that  Bob  Howard  told  George,  while 
they  were  sitting  on  the  bench  in  the  cabin. 
The  only  portions  of  it  that  he  left  out  were 
those  relating  to  the  supposed  identity  of  Mr. 
Stebbins'  nocturnal  visitors. 

He  did  not  mention  the  name  by  which  one 
of  the  robbers  had  been  addressed  by  the  one 
who.  seemed  to  be  the  leader  of  the  trio,  nor 
did  he  refer  to  the  fact  that  the  voices  of  all 
three  of  them  had  sounded  familiar  to  him. 

He  and  Dick  had  talked  these  matters  over 
during  their  walk  down  the  shore,  and  de- 
cided that  they  would  say  nothing  about 
them.  They  were  merely  coincidences,  and, 


AN  ANGRY  MISER.  135 

if  they  so  much  as  hinted  at  them,  they  might 
be  the  means  of  placing  three  of  their  school- 
mates in  a  most  unpleasant  situation. 

George  paid  the  closest  attention  to  the 
story,  and  Dick  Langdon  noted,  with  no  little 
astonishment,  that  at  times  an  expression  of 
intelligence  would  light  up  his  countenance, 
and  a  meaning  smile  linger  about  his  lips. 

When  Bob  ceased  speaking,  George  asked 
abruptly : 

"  You  say  those  robbers  engaged  in  a  long 
conversation  in  your  hearing.  Did  you  rec- 
ognize their  voices  ?" 

This  question  took  Dick  and  Bob  so  com- 
pletely by  surprise  that  they  could  not  speak ; 
but  the  blank  look  in  their  faces  told  George 
all  he  wished  to  know. 

"  You  needn't  answer  me  if  you  don't  want 
to;  but  I'll  just  tell  you  what's  a  fact,"  said 
he,  striking  his  open  palm  with  his  clenched 
hand.  "  I'll  bet  a  million  dollars,  or  half  I 
am  worth,  that  if  I  felt  at  all  revengeful — if 
I  had  any  desire  to  punish  three  boys  who 
have  repeatedly  gone  out  of  their  way  to  in- 
sult me — I  could  put  my  hands  on  those  rob- 


136        THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  RIVER  CANYON. 

bers  before  sundown,  unless  they  have  skipped 
the  country.     What  do  you  say  to  that  ?" 

"/  say  if  you  know  who  they  are,  you 
ought  to  point  them  out  to  the  officers  of  the 
law,"  answered  Dick  Langdon,  with  the  ut- 
most promptness.  "  Who  do  you  think  they 
are  ?" 

"  I  don't  think  anything  about  it,  Dick ; 
I  know.  Now,  let  me  tell  you  a  story — a  very 
short  one." 

So  saying,  George,  in  a  few  words,  told  of 
his  accidental  meeting  with  Wallace,  Benson 
and  Forbes  at  the  rock  beside  the  spring,  and 
repeated  the  conversation  he  had  overheard. 

While  he  was  speaking,  he  kept  a  close 
watch  of  his  guests'  faces,  and  he  would  have 
been  blind,  indeed,  if  he  had  not  been  able  to 
see  that  they  knew  more  about  the  robbers 
than  they  cared  to  tell. 

When  he  had  finished  his  story,  he  leaned 
back  against  the  cabin  and  waited  for  one  of 
them  to  say  something;  but  Bob  kept  his 
eyes  fastened  on  the  ground,  while  Dick 
Langdon  stood  with  his  back  toward  the 
bench,  and  appeared  to  be  deeply  interested 


AN  ANGEY  MISEE.  137 

in  watching  the  motions  of  a  fish-hawk  that 
was  slowly  winging  its  way  across  the  lake. 

Beyond  a  doubt,  these  three  boys  were  the 
possessors  of  a  secret  that  was  destined,  at 
no  distant  day,  to  make  a  commotion  in  the 
village. 

"Put  your  story  and  mine  together,  and 
what  do  you  make  of  them  ?"  continued 
George,  who  was  anxious  that  his  compan- 
ions should  express  an  opinion,  in  order  that 
he  might  know  how  nearly  it  agreed  with  his 
own. 

"  I  make  just  this  of  them/'  answered 
Bob.  "  Mr.  Stebbins  believes  that  Dick  and 
I  tried  to  rob  him  last  night,  and  he  told  us 
more  than  once  that  he  didn't  intend  to  let 
the  matter  drop.  That  means  that  he  is  going 
to  have  us  arrested.  If  he  does  that,  it  may 
be  necessary  for  Dick  and  me,  in  order  to 
protect  ourselves,  to  make  three  fellows,  who 
shall  be  nameless,  show  where  they  passed 
the  hours  between  sunset  yesterday  and  sun- 
rise this  morning.  If  he  lets  us  alone — " 

"Don't  build  any  hopes  on  that,"  inter- 
rupted George ;  "  for  if  you  do  you  are  bound 


138       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  EIVER  CANYON. 

to  be  disappointed.  He  is  one  of  the  most 
vindictive  old  misers  that  ever  lived." 

"Well,  as  to  that,"  said  Bob,  slowly,  "I 
don't  call  a  man  vindictive  because  he  asks 
the  help  of  the  law  when  he  has  been 
wronged." 

"  Neither  do  I ;  but  he  might  have  listened 
to  your  explanation." 

"  Well,  fellows,  what  did  we  come  out  here 
for?"  said  Dick.  ''It  is  a  most  unfortunate 
piece  of  business  altogether,  and  I  wish  to 
goodness  that  we  were  well  out  of  it;  but  see- 
ing that  we  are  not,  and  that  we  can't  settle 
it  among  ourselves,  I  say  let's  drop  it  and  go 
fishing." 

The  others  said  so,  too ;  but  the  first  thing 
in  order  was  breakfast,  and  that  was  very  soon 
made  ready. 

The  water  in  the  kettle,  which  George  had 
placed  over  the  fire  before  he  opened  the  door, 
had  had  plenty  of  time  to  come  to  the  boil- 
ing point  while  they  were  sitting  there  on 
the  bench,  and  it  was  but  a  few  minutes'  work 
to  make  the  coffee,  lay  the  table  and  place 
upon  it  some  of  the  delicacies  that  were 


AN  ANGEY  MISEE.  139 

brought  up  from  the  capacious  depths  of  the 
camp -baskets. 

"  Now,  if  we  only  had  some  squirrels  for 
George  to  broil  over  the  coals,  what  a  break- 
fast we  would  have  !"  exclaimed  Dick. 

"  Don't  grumble  with  what  is  set  before 
you,  young  man,"  said  Bob,  sternly.  "  It's  not 
polite.  You  can't  have  any  broiled  squirrels 
this  morning.  The  time  consumed  in  shoot- 
ing and  cooking  them  would  be  just  so  much 
time  taken  away  from  our  fishing,  and  we 
ought  to  have  been  anchored  over  that  bass- 
hole  when  the  sun  first  touched  the  water  this 
morning ;  then  we  would  have  caught  some 
fish." 

That  was  quite  true  ;  but  still  the  best  part 
of  the  morning  had  not  all  been  lost.  Hun- 
gry as  they  were,  there  were  but  a  very  few 
minutes  devoted  to  breakfast. 

There  was  no  time  spent  in  catching  min- 
nows for  bait,  George  having  been  thoughtful 
enough  to  procure  an  ample  supply  the  day 
before,  and  neither  did  it  take  him  long  to 
row  the  scow  out  to  the  bass-hole  and  bring  it 
to  an  anchor  in  the  proper  place. 


140       THE  MYSTEEY  OF  LOST  EIVER  CANYOK 

The  fish  were  evidently  as  hungry  as  the  boys 
had  been  a  short  half  hour  before,  and  the 
struggles  that  ensued  between  them  and  their 
captors  were  numerous  and  exciting.  They 
took  the  bait  almost  as  quickly  as  it  was  offered 
to  them,  and,  although  some  succeeded  in 
effecting  their  escape,  the  most  of  those  that 
were  struck  were  safely  landed,  by  the  aid 
of  the  folding  dip-net  that  had  found  a  place 
in  Bob's  basket ;  and  by  the  time  ten  o'clock 
came,  George's  guests  had  caught  a  larger 
string  than  the  one  they  had  carried  to  the 
village  with  them  the  Saturday  before. 

George  himself  did  not  do  much  fishing. 
He  did  not  believe  in  wasting  such  good 
things  as  black  bass,  so  he  caught  only  enough 
for  dinner,  and  then  sat  down  and  watched 
the  others. 

When  the  fish  stopped  biting  he  drew  up 
the  anchor  and  pulled  back  to  the  cabin, 
where  a  great  surprise  awaited  both  him  and 
his  friends. 


A  VISIT  FEOM  THE  SHERIFF.  141 


CHAPTER  XII. 

A   VISIT   FROM    THE   SHERIFF. 

•  *  rpHAT  is  as  fine  a  string  of  fish  as  I  care 
_1_  to  take  to  the  village/7  observed  Dick 
Langdon,  as  George  rowed  away  from  the 
bass-hole ;  "  and  if  you  want  any  more  you 
will  have  to  catch  them  yourself,  Mr.  Bob. 
I'm  going  to  spend  the  afternoon  in  the  woods, 
shooting  squirrels. 

"  All  right !  "  responded  Bob.  "  If  you  can 
see  more  sport  in  killing  an  innocent  little 
animal,  that  has  no  chance  for  its  life,  than 
you  can  in  having  a  hotly-contested  battle 
with  a  black  bass,  go  ahead.  I  shall  do  some 
more  fishing,  find  I'll  warrant — Hallo  !  Who 
are  those  men?" 

George  and  Dick  turned  about  on  their 
seats,  and  looking  toward  the  cabin,  saw  there 
a  party  of  a  dozen  or  more  horsemen,  who 
seemed  to  be  waiting  for  them.  George  took 


142       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  RIVER  CANYON. 

just  one  glance  at  them,  and  then  resumed 
his  work  at  the  oars. 

"  Do  you  suppose  they  have  come  up  here 
to  hunt  for  fish  ?"  continued  Bob.  "  I  don't 
see  anything  that  looks  like  a  gun  or  rod 
among  them.  Why,  George,  what  makes  you 
look  so  sober  all  on  a  sudden  ?" 

"  Do  you  recognize  any  of  the  party?"  asked 
George,  in  reply. 

Bob  and  Dick  shaded  their  eyes  with  their 
hands,  and  closely  scrutinized  every  one  of 
the  horsemen  in  turn,  but  they  could  not  see 
a  single  familiar  form  among  them.  The  dis- 
tance was  so  great  that  they  could  not  see  their 
faces. 

"  They  are  all  strangers  to  me,"  said  Dick, 
and  Bob  echoed  his  words. 

"There's  where  you  are  mistaken/'  said 
George,  still  tugging  at  the  oars.  "  The  one 
on  that  cream-colored  horse  is  my  Uncle  Ru- 
ben— though  what  should  bring  him  up  here 
I  don't  know — and  those  black  horses  are 
ridden  by  Mr.  Stebbins,  and  Mr.  Newton  the 
deputy  sheriff. 

George  expected  that  his  friends  would  be 


A  VISIT  FEOM  THE  SHERIFF.  143 

surprised  at  this  announcement,  and  they  cer- 
tainly were.  Their  eyes  grew  to  twice  their 
usual  size,  their  faces  changed  color,  and, 
after  looking  at  each  other  for  a  moment  in 
silence,  they  turned  about  and  looked  at  the 
horsemen  again. 

"  You  have  certainly  seen  those  white  po- 
nies before,"  added  George. 

"  I  believe  I  have,"  said  Bob.  "  Don't  they 
belong  to  Wallace  ?" 

"  They  do  ;  and  he  is  riding  one,  while 
Forbes  is  mounted  on  the  other.  That  fellow 
who  is  standing  near  the  cabin,  holding  his 
horse  by  the  bridle,  is  Benson." 

"  Whew  !"  whistled  Dick.  "  I  say,  Bob,  we 
are  in  for  it." 

"So  am  I,"  said  George,  calmly. 

"  You  !"  exclaimed  Bob.  "  What  have  you 
done  ?" 

"  Nothing  at  all.  But  you  wait  and  see  if 
my  respected  uncle  does  not  exert  himself 
to  the  utmost  to  prove  something  against 


me." 


"  Let  him  exert  and  welcome,"  said  Dick. 
"  Bob  and  I  are  the  ones  who  must  stand  the 


144       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  KIVER  CANYON. 

brunt  of  this  business.  Mr.  Stebbins  has 
brought  the  sheriff  up  here  to  arrest  us,  I 
suppose." 

"  Of  course  he  has,"  assured  George. 
"  Didn't  I  tell  you  that  he  wouldn't  let  you 
alone  ?" 

"  I  think  that  Wallace  and  his  friends  have 
good  cheek,"  said  Bob,  who  had  by  this  time 
succeeded  in  identifying  every  one  of  the 
horsemen.  "Their  safest  plan  would  have 
been  to  stay  away  from  here." 

"  I  can't  agree  with  you  there,"  observed 
Dick,  "/think,  taking  everything  into  con- 
sideration, that  the  boldest  course  was  the 
best,  and  it  seems  they  have  adopted  it. 
More  than  half  that  party  came  up  here  out 
of  curiosity,  and  it  wouldn't  have  looked  well 
for  Wallace  and  the  rest  to  remain  behind." 

George  knew  what  his  friends  meant  by 
these  remarks  ;  but  he  made  no  reply  to  them. 
He  pulled  steadily  for  the  shore,  and,  when 
the  boat  had  almost  reached  it,  Bob  leaned 
forward  and  said,  in  an  earnest  whisper  : 

"  You  do  the  talking,  Dick,  and  I  will  keep 
a  close  watch  of  Benson.  Judging  by  what 


A  VISIT  FEOM  THE  SHERIFF.  145 

I  heard  last  night,  and  what  George  told  us 
regarding  the  way  he  acted  down  there  at  the 
spring,  he  is  very  timid  and  will  be  very 
likely  to  betray  himself  while  Mr.  Newton  is 
questioning  us." 

Just  then  the  voice  of  Mr.  Stebbins,  who 
had  been  gesticulating  wildly  ever  since  the 
boat  and  its  occupants  came  into  view  around 
the  point,  reached  their  ears. 

"  I  tell  you,  Newton,  them's  the  very  fel- 
lers who  tried  to  rob  me  last  night,"  he 
asserted.  "  They  broke  open  the  winder  in 
my  wood-shed,  shot  their  guns  at  the  house, 
an'  then  had  the  imperdence  to  go  into  my 
barn  an'  'go  to  sleep  in  the  hay  j-^n'  there's 
where  I  found  'em  this  morning." 

At  this  moment  the  bottom  of  the  boat 
grated  on  the  sand,  and  Mr.  Newton  took  the 
painter  that  Dick  tossed  to  him,  and  drew  the 
bow  up  on  the  beach. 

The  officer  seemed  to  be  highly  amused ; 
Uncle  Ruben  looked  triumphant;  Mr.  Steb- 
bins was  furious;  Wallace  and  Forbes  tried 
to  appear  indifferent ;  Benson's  face  was  as 

white  as  a  sheet ;  and  the  countenances  of  the 

10 


146       THE  MYSTEEY  OF  LOST  EIVER  CANYON. 

others  expressed  nothing  but  interest  and 
curiosity. 

Mr.  Newton,  who  was  experienced  in  his 
calling,  and  had  gained  something  more  than 
a  local  reputation  as  a  thief-taker,  knew  very 
well  that  Mr.  Stebbins  had  put  him  on  the 
wrong  trail ;  but  he  could  not  make  the  old 
man  think  so. 

As  the  boys  sprang  out  of  the  boat,  he 
shook  them  all  warmly  by  the  hand — a  pro- 
ceeding on  his  part  that  increased  the  ire  of 
Mr.  Stebbins,  who  called  out : 

"  Don't  tech  'em,  Newton.  Two  on  'em  is 
thieves,  an'  George  Edwards  ain't  no  bettor, 
'cause  he  harbors  'em  !" 

"  What  do  you  say  to  that,  boys  !"  inquired 
the  officer,  good-naturedly. 

"I  say  he  lies!"  replied  Bob,  forgetting  in 
his  rage  that  Dick  Langdon  was  to  do  all  the 
talking. 

"  I  know  he  is  mistaken,"  said  Mr.  Newton, 
in  a  low  tone. 

"  Now,  look  here.  I  ain't  a-goin*  to  have 
no  sich  work  as  that,"  declared  Mr.  Stebbins. 
"  If  you've  got  anything  to  say,  speak  it  out 


A  VISIT  FROM  THE  SHERIFF.  147 

so't  we  can  all  hear  it.  You've  no  business 
to  be  standin'  there  whisperin'  to  them  vaga- 
bonds an'  givin'  'em  aid  an'  counsel." 

"I  am  not  giving  them  aid  and  counsel/' 
denied  the  officer,  with  some  dignity.  "  They 
stand  in  no  need  of  either.  If  I  had  known 
that  these  were  the  boys  you  wanted  rne  to 
arrest,  I  shouldn't  have  been  fool  enough  to 
come  up  here." 

"  Oh,  I  know  you're  all  ag'in  me !"  cried 
the  old  man,  whose  face  was  fairly  black 
with  rage.  "  I  hain't  got  a  friend  among  the 
hull  kit  of  you." 

"  We'll  not  stop  to  discuss  that  point,"  said 
Mr.  Newton.  "  What  do  you  know  about 
this  affair,  Dick  ?  Did  you  camp  in  Mr. 
Stebbins'  barn  last  night  ?" 

"  I  know  all  about  it,"  answered  Dick, 
promptly  and  with  emphasis. 

There  were  two  in  that  party  who  knew 
that  these  words  contained  a  deeper  meaning 
than  the  officer  supposed,  and  there  was  a 
third  who  suspected  it ;  for  when  Bob  How- 
ard suddenly  recalled  to  mind  the  part  he  had 
set  himself  to  perform,  and  began  to  look 


148       THE  MYSTEKY  OF  LOST  EIVER  CANYON. 

around  for  Benson,  he  found  that  that  young 
gentleman  had  sought  concealment  in  the  rear 
of  all  the  horsemen,  so  that  he  could  listen 
unobserved. 

But  Bob  was  not  to  be  balked  in  any  such 
way  as  that.  He  seated  himself  on  the  bench, 
where  he  could  hear  every  word  that  passed 
between  Dick  and  the  sheriff,  and  at  the  same 
time  keep  a  sharp  eye  on  Benson's  counten- 
ance. 

"  I  know  all  about  it,  and  I  did  sleep  in 
Mr.  Stebbins'  barn  last  night,"  said  Dick. 

And  then  he  went  on  to  tell  the  story  of  his 
night's  experience,  just  as  Bob  Howard  had 
told  it  to  George  that  morning. 

He  did  not  mention  Benson's  name ;  he  did 
not  say  that  the  voices  sounded  familiar  to 
him ;  nor  did  he  so  much  as  hint  at  his  sus- 
picions; but,  nevertheless,  his  narrative  pro- 
duced a  startling  effect. 

Benson's  hand  trembled  so  violently  that 
he  could  hardly  retain  his  hold  upon  the  stick 
he  was  trying  to  cut  with  his  knife,  while  the 
expression  of  indifference  on  Wallace's  face  and 
Forbes'  gave  place  to  a  look  of  genuine  alarm. 


A  VISIT  FKOM  THE  SHERIFF.  149 

"  They  are  the  guilty  'ones,  as  sure  as  I  am 
a  foot  high,"  said  Bob  Howard  to  himself; 
"  but,  I  declare,  I  can  hardly  bring  myself  to 
believe  it.  Why  should  they  want  to  steal 
the  old  man's  money,  when  their  fathers  are 
so  rich  and  give  them  all  they  want  to  spend  ?" 

"What's  the  matter,  Bob?"  inquired  the 
officer — for  the  boy,  all  unconscious  of  what 
he  was  doing,  had  brought  both  his  hands 
down  upon  his  knees  with  a  ringing  slap. 
"  Do  you  wish  to  add  anything  to  what  Dick 
has  told  us  ?" 

"  No,  sir  ;  he  has  told  you  everything — I 
mean — that  is  to  say — pretty  nearly  every- 
thing that  happened  last  night." 

"  Suppose  you  tell  what  he  left  out  ?" 

"  Dick  is  a  better  talker  than  I  am,  and  he 
will  do  it  himself  when  the  time  comes." 

"  Well,  Mr.  Stebbins,"  said  the  sheriff,  "our 
young  friend  has  told  a  straightforward  story, 
hasn't  he?" 

"  Oh,  'most  anybody  could  tell  a  smooth 
tale,  if  he  thought  he  could  keep  himself  out 
of  the  penitentiary  by  doing  it,"  replied  the 
old  man,  who  had  made  several  persistent 


150       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  EIVEK  CANYON. 

but  unsuccessful  attempts  to  interrupt  the  boy 
while  he  was  speaking.  "  There  hain't  a  word 
of  truth  in  what  he  said,  except  about  sleepin' 
in  my  barn. 

"  Do  you  suppose  that  if  we  had  been  guilty 
of  an  attempt  to  break  into  your  house,  we 
would  have  gone  to  sleep  in  your  barn  ?"  de- 
manded Dick. 

"  That  was  only  a  blind.  You  wanted  me 
to  suspicion  some  innocent  persons." 

"  But  Dick  says  there  were  three  of  the 
robbers,  and  you  saw  only  two,"  said  Mr.  New- 
ton. "  How  do  you  account  for  that  ?  Who 
was  the  other,  and  where  did  he  go  ?" 

"  I  reckon  mebbe  it  was  George  Edwards, 
an'  that  he  took  himself  safe  home.  He  looks 
kinder  guilty." 

"  There,  now,  what  did  I  tell  you,  young 
man  ?"  spoke  up  Uncle  Ruben,  shaking  his 
riding  whip  at  his  astonished  nephew.  "  Didn't 
I  say  that  you  had  better  take  up  with  my 
offer  and  go  home  with  me  ?  Didn't  I  say 
that  all  the  folks  in  the  village  suspicioned 
you  of  knowin'  how  all  them  stores  got  broke 
into  an'  robbed,  an'  that  you'd  be  sartin'  to 


A  VISIT  FKOM  THE  SHERIFF.  151 

git  yourself  into  trouble  by  livin'  up  here  in 
the  woods  like  a  wild  Injun — eh  ?" 

George  was  so  utterly  bewildered  by  this 
unexpected  turn  of  events  that  he  could  not 
utter  a  word. 

He  stood  speechless  and  motionless,  growing 
red  and  pale  by  turns,  and  almost  any  one 
would  have  said  he  looked  guilty.  Bob  How- 
ard was  the  first  to  recover  himself. 

"  Mr.  Newton,"  said  he,  earnestly,  "  we  did 
not  see  George  last  night.  If  he  had  met  us 
at  the  road,  as  he  would  have  done  if  we  had 
not  got  lost  in  the  woods,  we  should  not  have 
been  obliged  to  sleep  in  that  barn." 

"  Uncle  Ruben/'  said  George,  who  had 
managed  to  get  a  few  of  his  wits  together, 
"you  don't  suspect  me  of  being  dishonest; 
and  I  know  it  as  well  as  you  do.  Your  object 
is  to  drive  me  away  from  this  lake,  under  the 
impression  that  if  you  succeed  I  shall  be 
forced  to  work  for  you  for  nothing ;  but  you 
may  as  well  give  it  up,  for  I  will  never  do  a 
hand's  turn  for  you  as  long  as  I  live." 

"  I've  always  heard,"  replied  Uncle  Ruben, 
running  his  eye  over  the  cabin  and  its  sur- 


152       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  EIVEE  CANYON. 

roundings,  as  if  he  were  looking  for  something 
— "  I've  always  heard  that  when  thieves  steal 
anything  they  hide  it  somewheres,  most  gin- 
erally  in  the  ground.  I  think  it  would  be  a 
good  plan  to  s'arch  the  premises." 

"  But  they  didn't  git  my  money,"  said  Mr. 
Stebbins.  "  They  only  tried  to  get  it." 

"  I  wasn't  thinkin'  about  you,  neighbor," 
was  Uncle  Ruben's  reply.  "  There's  been  a 
heap  of  stealin'  an'  thievin'  goin'  on  about  the 
village,  an'  if  George  is  the  one  who  done  it, 
I  say  he  had  oughter  suffer  for  it,  if  he  is 
my  nephew." 

"  But  I  can't  search  the  house,"  said  the 
sheriff.  "  I  have  no  warrant." 

"That's  your  own  fault,"  rejoined  Uncle 
Ruben.  I  told  you,  when  we  was  down  to 
the  village,  to  take  out  a  s'arch  warrant  the 
very  first  thing." 

"  And  I  didn't  do  it,  because  I  knew  I 
shouldn't  find  anything." 

"  Never  mind  the  warrant,  Mr.  Newton," 
said  George,  whose  face  was  red  with  indigna- 
tion. "  Come  right  in  and  go  to  work.  But 
perhaps  you  had  better  let  Uncle  Ruben  do 


A  VISIT  FROM  THE  SHERIFF.  153 

it.    He  seems  very  anxious  to  prove  me  guilty 
of  something." 

As  he  spoke,  he  threw  open  the  door  of  the 
cabin  and  stood  aside,  so  that  the  officer  could 
enter;  but  the  latter  did  not  seem  disposed 
to  do  anything  of  the  kind. 


154       THE  MYSTEEY  OF  LOST  EIVER  CANYON. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

THE   TABLES    TUENED. 

UNCLE  RUBEN  EDWARDS  was  so 
highly  exasperated  at  his  nephew,  and 
so  fully  determined  to  punish  him  for  his 
refusal  to  live  with  him  as  a  bound  boy,  that 
he  had  thought  of  nothing  else  during  the 
past  week,  and  he  could  think  of  nothing  else 
now;  consequently,  he  did  not  notice  the 
peculiar  look  with  which  the  sheriff  regarded 
him. 

Mr.  Newton  knew  very  well  why  it  was 
that  George's  relative  took  so  much  interest 
in  the  boy's  affairs ;  he  did  not  believe  Mr. 
Stebbins'  story,  except  in  so  far  as  it  was  cor- 
roborated by  Dick  Langdon's;  and  he  had 
already  made  up  his  mind  that  he  was  wast- 
ing time  there,  and  that  he  would  return  to 
the  village  and  look  elsewhere  for  the  robbers  ; 
but  he  did  not  do  it,  for  lie  was  nearer  to 
obtaining  a  clue  than  he  thought  he  was. 


THE  TABLES  TURNED.  155 

"  'Tain't  worth  while  to  go  into  the  shanty, 
seem'  that  there  ain't  no  place  there  to  hide 
things  in,"  said  Uncle  Ruben,  as  he  got  off 
his  horse  and  picked  up  a  stout  stick.  "  Take 
this  here,  an'  poke  around  in  the  leaves,  an' 
jest  as  like  as  not,  you'll  find  something." 

"  I  don't  want  it,"  answered  the  officer. 
"  If  you  think  there  is  any  stolen  property 
concealed  about  here,  you  had  better  look 
around  and  find  it  yourself." 

This  was  a  decided  snub,  but  Uncle  Ruben 
was  not  at  all  abashed  by  it.  He  took  a  peep 
into  the  cabin,  and  then  went  around  behind 
it,  followed  by  the  sheriff  and  all  his  party. 

Bob  Howard  held  back,  and,  by  the  aid 
of  some  mysterious  school-boy  telegraphy, 
brought  his  friend  Dick  to  his  side. 

"  Well,  Bob,  isn't  that  a  nice  uncle  for  any 
decent  boy  to  have  ?"  said  Dick.  "  If  I  were 
in  George's  place,  I  wouldn't  acknowledge  the 
relationship.  He  acts  for  all  the  world  as 
though  he  wanted  to  find  some  evidence 
against  his  nephew.  But  what  is  the  matter 
with  you  ?  Your  face  is  a  yard  long." 

"They're  going  to  find  something  around 


156       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  EIVER  CANYON. 

there,"  replied  Bob,  in  an  earnest  whisper. 
"  You  hear  me  ?  As  sure  as  you  live,  they 
are  going  to  find  something  I" 

"  No !"  exclaimed  Dick,  who  knew  by  the 
expression  on  his  friend's  face  that  the  latter 
had  some  good  reason  for  being  so  positive. 

"  But  I  say  they  are.  Look  here.  While 
you  were  telling  your  story,  those  three  fellows 
acted  as  though  they  were  frightened  nearly 
out  of  their  wits.  Benson  trembled  like  a 
leaf,  and  Wallace  and  Forbes  were  as  white 
as  ghosts.  They  showed  their  guilt  so  very 
plainly  that  it  is  a  wonder  to  me  that  those 
around  them  didn't  notice  it." 

"  Perhaps  they  were  giving  all  their  atten- 
tion to  me,"  observed  Dick.  "  They  certainly 
stared  at  me  very  hard." 

"  But  that  isn't  all,"  continued  Bob.  "  Just 
the  minute  that  Uncle  Ruben,  as  George  calls 
him,  proposed  that  the  premises  should  be 
searched,  the  appearance  of  those  three  boys 
changed  as  if  by  magic.  They  looked  relieved 
at  once,  and  I  heard  Wallace  say,  *  If  I  were 
Mr.  Newton,  I  would  search  the  shanty,  war- 
rant or  no  warrant.  It  is  plain  that  George 


THE  TABLES  TURNED.  157 

can't  live  on  nothing,  and  as  he  has  no  visible 
means  of  support  — '  What's  that  ?  Didn't 
I  tell  you  that  they  would  find  something  ? 
Let's  go  around  there." 

Bob  was  interrupted  by  the  sound  of  Uncle 
Ruben's  voice,  which  came  from  behind  the 
cabin.  It  was  pitched  in  a  high  key,  and 
there  was  a  triumphant  ring  in  it. 

Being  fully  satisfied  in  his  own  mind  that 
the  man  had  succeeded  in  finding  some 
damaging  evidence  against  his  nephew,  Bob 
was  not  very  much  surprised  at  the  sight 
that  was  presented  to  his  view  when  he  ran 
around  the  corner  of  the  house. 

A  hole  had  been  dug  close  under  the  rear 
wall,  and  near  by  lay  a  couple  of  open  bundles 
that  had  just  been  taken  out  of  it. 

Uncle  Ruben's  face  was  fairly  radiant.  He 
seemed  to  be  struggling  to  assume  an  expres- 
sion of  countenance  suitable  to  the  occasion, 
but  his  delight  was  so  great  that  he  could  not 
possibly  conceal  it. 

George  Edwards  was  fairly  overwhelmed 
with  astonishment,  while  Wallace  and  his 
two  friends  looked  as  though  a  mountain 


158       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  EIVER  CANYON. 

of  anxiety  had  been  removed  from  their 
minds. 

Bob's  sharp  eyes  took  all  these  things  in  at 
a  glance,  and  then  they  turned  toward  the 
sheriff. 

The  latter  looked  solemn,  but  he  did  not 
appear  to  be  at  all  astonished.  He  knew  that 
George  Edwards  had  never  put  those  bundles 
in  that  hole ;  and  there  were  other  men  in 
the  party  who  knew  it,  too. 

But  the  question  was :  Who  did  do  it  ? 

It  was  answered  in  a  very  few  minutes, 
and  in  a  most  unexpected  manner. 

"  George,  I  am  astonished  at  you !"  said 
Uncle  Ruben,  drawing  the  back  of  his  hand 
across  his  eyes,  and  wiping  away  the  tears 
that  would  not  come  at  his  bidding.  "  Neigh- 
bor Newton,  these  things  come  from  some  of 
the  stores  that's  been  robbed." 

The  officer  nodded  his  head,  but  said 
nothing. 

"  There's  been  a  heap  of  this  sort  of  work 
goin'  on,"  continued  Uncle  Ruben;  "  an' 
who  knows  but  there's  something  else  hid 
away  about  here  ?  Let's  take  a  look  through 


THE  TABLES  TURNED.  159 

the  bushes,  all  of  us,  an'  see  if  we  can  find 
anything  in  ?ern." 

Some  of  the  party  complied,  moving  about 
in  a  listless  sort  of  way,  and  showing  by  all 
their  actions  that  their  hearts  were  not  in  the 
matter,  while  the  others  held  the  horses  and 
awaited  the  result  of  the  search  in  silence. 

Uncle  Ruben  kept  clear  of  the  thicket  into 
which  he  had  thrown  the  chickens,  hoping 
that  some  one  would  stumble  upon  it.  Two 
or  three  men  did  walk  through  it,  but  they 
found  nothing. 

Then  Uncle  Ruben  went  in  himself;  but 
he,  too,  came  out  empty-handed.  Beyond  a 
doubt,  some  prowling  fox  or  raccoon  had  been 
there  before  him  and  carried  off  the  chickens. 

"  Well,  Mr.  Edwards,  you  don't  seem  to  be 
having  very  good  luck,"  said  the  sheriff,  who 
was  growing  tired  of  this  "  spite  work  busi- 
ness," as  he  afterward  termed  it. 

"  No,  I  don't  seem  to  find  nothing — that's 
a  fact,"  replied  the  man,  as  he  came  out  of 
the  bushes,  looking  rather  surprised  and 
crestfallen.  "  Queer,  too,  I  must  say — for 
my  hen-roost  was  robbed  t'other  night." 


1GO       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  BIVER  CANYON. 

While  Uncle  Ruben  was  wondering  whether 
or  not  it  would  be  safe  to  accuse  George  of 
having  stolen  and  eaten  the  chickens,  the  rest 
of  the  searching  party  came  out  of  the  woods, 
one  after  the  other. 

And  when  they  were  all  assembled,  and 
were  waiting  for  the  officer  to  speak,  Bob 
Howard,  after  holding  a  short  consultation 
with  Dick,  stepped  out  where  all  could  see 
him. 

"  Now,  then,  I've  got  the  floor,"  said  he, 
"  and  I  will  show  you  how  to  go  to  the  bottom 
of  this  business  in  less  than  two  minutes." 

Everybody  seemed  to  know  that  there  was 
something  coming  now.  The  sheriff  looked 
expectant,  and  those  who  had  accompanied 
him  to  the  cabin,  merely  out  of  curiosity,  led 
their  horses  closer  to  the  speaker  and  formed 
a  complete  circle  around  him. 

As  Bob  uttered  these  words,  he  fastened 
his  eyes  upon  Wallace  and  his  two  friends, 
and  kept  them  there  so  long  that  the  rest  of 
the  party  began  to  look  toward  them,  also. 

Wallace,  who  showed  himself  to  be  pos- 
sessed of  uncommon  nerve,  met  his  gaze  with- 


THE  TABLES  TURNED.  161 

out  flinching ;  Forbes  moved  about  uneasily 
and  smiled  in  a  sickly  sort  of  way ;  and  Ben- 
son, utterly  unable  to  endure  his  close  scru- 
tiny, walked  off  as  though  he  had  no  par- 
ticular object  in  view,  leading  his  horse  by 
the  bridle. 

"  Don't  go  away,  Benson/'  said  Bob.  "  You 
are  just  the  fellow  I  want  to  talk  to.  Come 
back  here." 

"Why,  Bob,  you're  crazy!"  exclaimed 
Wallace.  "  What  does  Benson  know  about 
Mr.  Stebbins'  money  ?  I  mean — " 

Wallace  saw  that  he  had  made  a  false  step, 
and  he  intended  to  correct  it ;  but  Bob  was 
too  quick  for  him. 

"  Who  said  anything  about  Mr.  Stebbins' 
money  ?"  he  demanded.  "  That  subject  was 
dropped  long  ago ;  but  Benson  knows  all 
about  it,  and  so  do  you  and  Forbes." 

The  horsemen  moved  up  closer  to  Bob,  and 
exclamations  of  astonishment  were  heard  on 
all  sides.  Forbes  would  have  been  glad  to 
run  away  with  Benson,  but  Wallace  stood 
his  ground  manfully. 

"  If   I  know  all  about  it,  why  don't  you 
11 


162       THE  MYSTEEY  OF  LOST  KIVEB  CANYON. 

question  me  instead  of  Benson  ?"  he  inquired, 
with  a  sneer. 

"  Because  I  don't  choose  to,  just  now.  I 
may  have  a  few  questions  to  ask  you,  by- 
and-by." 

"  Well,  I  shall  do  as  I  please  about  answer- 
ing them." 

"  Of  course ;  that's  your  privilege.  But 
you'll  not  do  as  you  please  about  answering 
them,  when  you  find  yourself  hauled  up  be- 
fore Judge  Baker.  Come  back  here,  Benson." 

But  Benson  paid  no  attention  to  him.  He 
did  not  think  it  would  be  quite  safe  to  go 
back,  for  he  knew  too  well  what  was  coming. 
He  led  his  horse  around  the  corner  of  the 
cabin,  and  there  is  every  reason  to  believe  that 
he  intended  to  mount  him  and  ride  away ; 
but  his  purpose  was  defeated  by  Dick  Lang- 
don  and  George,  who  sprang  around  the 
opposite  end  of  the  cabin  and  ran  along  the 
front  of  it,  just  in  time  to  seize  the  bridle 
of  Benson's  horse  as  the  young  fellow  was 
about  to  swing  himself  into  the  saddle. 

"  Look  here,  Benson  !  You're  only  making 
a  bad  matter  worse,"  warned  Dick. 


THE  TABLES  TURNED.  163 

"  Let  me  alone !"  protested  Benson,  whose 
eyes  filled  with  tears  as  fast  as  he  could  wipe 
them  away.  "  I  don't  know  anything  about 
Mr.  Stebbins'  money." 

"  Yes,  you  do,"  said  Dick,  firmly.  "  Bob 
Howard  and  I  were  there,  and  we  drove  you 
away  just  as  you  were  about  to  go  into  the 
house  through  the  woodshed  window.  I  am 
sorry  for  you ;  but  if  you  think  that  Bob  and 
I  are  going  to  stand  still  and  let  somebody 
accuse  us  of  a  crime  of  which  you  are  guilty, 
you  will  find  that  you  are  mistaken/' 

When  Dick  took  him  by  the  arm  and  at- 
tempted to  lead  him  behind  the  cabin,  Benson 
showed  a  disposition  to  resist  him,  and  it  is 
probable  that  he  would  have  done  so  if  the 
sheriff  had  not  put  in  an  appearance. 

The  latter  had  been  looking  for  something 
strange  and  unexpected  to  come  of  this  morn- 
ing's work,  but  he  had  little  dreamed  that  it 
would  be  the  means  of  putting  him  on  the 
track  of  the  burglars  for  whom  he  had  been 
so  long  watching. 

He  knew  now,  as  well  as  he  knew  it  ten 
minutes  later,  that  Benson  and  his  two  friends 


164       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  RIVER  CANYON. 

had  made  an  effort  to  steal  Mr.  Stebbins'  mo- 
ney— that  they  were  responsible  for  at  least 
one  of  the  burglaries  that  had  been  committed 
in  the  village — and  he  was  astounded  by  the 
discovery ;  but  his  face  did  not  show  it. 

The  culprits  were  the  sons  of  the  wealthiest 
and  most  prominent  men  in  the  county,  and, 
although  the  officer  did  not  approve  of  their 
idle,  shiftless  ways,  and  watched  their  conduct 
with  some  concern,  as  many  other  good  men 
in  the  village  did,  they  were  the  last  ones  he 
would  have  suspected  of  any  crime.  He  won- 
dered what  it  was  that  had  led  them  to  it, 
and  the  next  Monday  he  found  out. 

"  Benson,  come  with  me,"  said  the  officer, 
kindly,  but  firmly.  "  I  should  like  to  have  a 
few  words  with  you  in  private.  Dick,  you  and 
George  go  around  where  the  others  are,  and 
tell  them  that  I  don't  want  to  be  interrupted." 

"  Well,  smart  Alecks,  what  have  you  ac- 
complished?" asked  Wallace,  as  Dick  and  his 
companion  joined  their  friend,  Bob  Howard. 

"  We  kept  Benson  from  running  away,"  re- 
plied Dick,  whose  even  temper  was  not  in  the 
least  ruffled  by  the  other's  insulting  tones. 


THE  TABLES  TURNED.  165 

"We  couldn't  afford  to  let  him  get  out  of 
sight,  you  know,  because  we  shall  need  his 
evidence.  You  said  last  night  that  if  you 
ever  got  into  trouble,  it  would  be  through  him, 
and  I  guess  you  hit  the  nail  right  on  top  of 
the  head." 

"I  never  said  any  such  thing,"  denied 
Wallace,  hoping  by  an  assumption  of  rage, 
which  he  did  not  feel,  to  hide  the  alarm  he 
did  feel.  "  Now,  I  am  sick  of  all  this  non- 
sense, and  I  want  to  know  what  you  mean 
by  it." 

"  You  will  find  out  all  you  want  to  know 
as  soon  as  Benson  has  finished  his  confes- 


sion." 


"  Confession  !"  gasped  Wallace. 

That  was  the  thing  of  which  he  stood  the 
most  in  fear.  If  Benson's  courage  gave  way, 
there  was  no  hope  for  them.  The  bare  thought 
was  enough  to  terrify  him  beyond  expression. 

His  face  was  fairly  livid,  while  Forbes  could 
only  maintain  an  upright  position  by  cling- 
ing to  the  horn  of  his  saddle. 


166       THE  MYSTEEY  OF  LOST  EIVER  CANYON. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

THE    UPSHOT    OF    THE   WHOLE   MATTER. 

(  f  TTTHERE  is  Benson  now  ?"  asked  Wal- 
VV  lace,  as  soon  as  lie  could  speak. 
"What  did  you  do  with  him  ?" 

"  We  left  him  on  the  beach  with  the  sheriff; 
but  I  wouldn't  advise  you  to  go  around  there," 
said  Dick,  as  Wallace  handed  his  bridle  to 
Forbes  and  moved  away.  "  Mr.  Newton  de- 
sired me  to  say  to  all  of  you  that  he  doesn't 
wish  to  be  interrupted." 

"  You  shut  your  mouth,  and  keep  your  ad- 
vice until  you  are  asked  for  it !"  said  Wallace, 
fiercely. 

Knowing  Benson  as  well  as  he  did,  he  dared 
not  leave  him  alone  with  the  officer ;  so  he 
kept  on,  and  presently  those  who  remained 
behind  heard  loud  voices  on  the  other  side 
of  the  cabin. 

An  animated  conversation  was  kept  up  for 


THE  UPSHOT  OF  THE  WHOLE  MATTER.         167 

a  minute  or  two,  and  then  the  officer  appeared, 
bringing  Wallace  with  him.  The  latter  was 
angry  and  excited,  while  the  sheriff's  face  wore 
a  determined  look. 

"  Steve,"  said  he,  addressing  one  of  the 
horsemen,  and  speaking  in  an  authoritative 
tone  of  voice,  "  I  shall  have  to  ask  you  to  take 
charge  of  this  young  man." 

"  Hello  !  He's  been  arrested,"  whispered 
Dick. 

"  And  I  ask  you  once  more,  and  for  the 
last  time,  to  take  your  hands  off  me !"  howled 
Wallace,  trying  in  vain  to  twist  his  arm  out 
of  the  officer's  grasp.  "  You  want  to  look 
out  for  me,  for  I'm  dangerous  when  I'm 
riled." 

"  Arthur,  if  you  don't  behave  yourself,  I 
shall  put  you  under  close  restraint,"  said  Mr. 
Newton,  sternly.  • 

"  You  mean  by  that,  that  you  will  put  the 
bracelets  on  me,  I  suppose!"  yelled  Wallace, 
who  acted  for  all  the  world  like  a  crazy  boy. 
"  You  can't  do  it.  Now,  I  am  going  to  show 
you  what  Wild  Harry  is  made  of." 

Before  the  officer  could  prevent  it,  Wallace 


168       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  EIVEE  CANYON. 

thrust  bis  hand  into  his  hip-pocket,  and  when 
he  brought  it  out  again,  he  brought  with  it  an 
ivory-handled  revolver. 

The  spectators  looked  at  it  with  the  utmost 
consternation  depicted  on  their  countenances, 
and  Mr.  Stebbins,  uttering  a  cry  of  alarm, 
started  up  his  horse,  from  which  he  had  never 
once  dismounted,  and  almost  ran  over  Bob 
and  George  in  his  eagerness  to  get  out  of 
harm's  way. 

There  is  no  doubt,  whatever,  that  Wallace 
intended  to  use  the  weapon  he  had  so  unex- 
pectedly produced ;  but  fortunately  for  him- 
self and  all  concerned,  he  had  to  deal  with 
men  who  were  not  easily  intimidated,  and 
who  did  not  allow  their  astonishment  to  pre- 
vent them  from  acting  quickly  and  promptly. 

Before  Wallace  could  think  twice,  the  re- 
volver was  wrenched  from  his  grasp,  and  the 
broad-shouldered  Steve,  rushing  upon  him 
from  behind,  clasped  him  around  the  arms, 
pinning  them  securely  to  his  side. 

A  moment  later  there  were  two  ominous 
"  clicks,"  and  when  Steve,  in  obedience  to  a 
sign  from  the  officer,  released  his  hold  upon 


THE  UPSHOT  OF  THE  WHOLE  MATTEK.         169 

the  captive,  the  latter  was  powerless,  his 
wrists  being  encircled  by  a  pair  of  hand- 
cuffs. 

"  This  is  the  most  extraordinary  thing  I 
ever  heard  of.  I  don't  understand  it  at  all," 
said  the  sheriff. 

And  the  reason  he  did  not  understand  it 
was  because  he  had  not  yet  gone  to  the  bot- 
tom of  the  matter.  He  knew  more  about  it 
before  two  days  more  had  passed  over  his 
head. 

"  Forbes,"  shouted  Wallace,  after  he  had 
made  several  desperate  but  unsuccessful  at- 
tempts to  pull  off  the  hand-cuffs,  "  where's 
your  gun  ?  Why  do  you  stand  there  looking 


instead  of  helping  me  ?" 


This  question  very  naturally  suggested  the 
idea  that  possibly  the  youth  appealed  to  had 
something  dangerous  about  him,  and  two  or 
three  of  the  party  at  once  moved  toward 
him,  with  the  intention  of  satisfying  them- 
selves on  that  point. 

But  Forbes  did  not  wait  to  be  searched. 
The  ease  with  which  his  companion  had  been 
conquered  took  all  the  courage  out  of  him, 


170       THE  MYSTEEY  OF  LOST  EIVEE  CANYON. 

and  lie  handed  out  his  "gun" — a  nickel- 
plated  revolver — before  he  was  asked  for  it. 

The  sheriff  put  it  into  his  pocket,  to  keep 
company  with  the  one  he  had  taken  from 
Wallace,  and  then  went  back  to  the  front  of 
the  cabin  to  hear  the  rest  of  Benson's  con- 
fession, leaving  two  prisoners  intead  of  one 
in  Steve's  charge. 

He  did  not  think  it  necessary  to  put  Forbes 
under  "  close  restraint,"  for  the  latter  was 
thoroughly  cowed,  arid  quite  as  willing  to 
make  a  clean  breast  of  the  whole  matter  as 
Benson  was. 

All  these  things,  which  we  have  been  so 
long  in  describing,  occupied  but  a  very  short 
time  in  taking  place — probably  not  over  ten 
minutes. 

The  spectators  had  had  but  little  to  say, 
because  their  astonishment  held  them  speech- 
less. They  had  barely  time  to  recover  from 
the  surprise  occasioned  by  one  startling  dis- 
closure before  they  were  called  upon  to  be 
surprised  at  something  else. 

They  were  all  satisfied  on  one  point,  and 
that  was  that  the  events  of  the  preceding 


THE  UPSHOT  OF  THE  WHOLE  MATTER.         171 

night  had  been  the  means  of  unearthing  the 
thieves  of  whom  they  had  so  long  stood  in 
fear. 

But,  like  Bob  Howard,  they  could  not  for 
the  life  of  them  see  why  boys  in  their  cir- 
cumstances, who  had  indulgent  parents,  com- 
fortable homes  and  everything  in  the  way  of 
benefits  and  amusements  that  reasonable  boys 
ought  to  ask  for,  could  become  criminals. 

When  the  sheriff  came  back,  accompanied 
by  Benson,  who  was  crying  as  though  he  had 
been  whipped,  they  stared  at  him  very  hard, 
in  the  hope  of  seeing  something  in  the  offi- 
cer's face  that  would  enlighten  them  on  this 
point ;  but  they  were  disappointed. 

They  could  only  judge  of  the  result  of  his 
long  interview  with  Benson  by  his  actions. 
Without  saying  a  word,  he  tied  the  bundles 
which  Uncle  Ruben  had  dug  out  of  the 
ground,  fastened  them  to  the  horn  of  his 
saddle  and  mounted  his  horse. 

When  he  was  ready  to  start,  he  said,  address- 
ing himself  to  George  and  his  friends: 

"  Now,  boys,  I  am  going  back  to  the  vil- 
lage." 


172  E  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  EIVER  CANYON. 

"  Do  you  want  us  to  go  with  you  ?''  asked 
Dick. 

"  No,  I  do  not,"  answered  the  officer.  "  I 
shall  probably — " 

At  this  point  Uncle  Ruben  interrupted 
him.  He  was  no  less  astonished  than  the 
others  were  by  the  incidents  that  had  trans- 
pired during  the  last  few  minutes,  and  he 
was  angry  and  disgusted,  too. 

He  had  come  up  there  on  purpose  to  find 
the  chickens,  which  he  had  killed  himself,  in 
order  that  he  might  have  some  excuse  for 
accusing  George  of  robbing  his  hen-roost, 
and  his  failure  to  produce  the  evidence  he 
had  so  carefully  prepared  exasperated  him. 
It  looked  now  as  though  his  nephew  was 
going  to  get  off  scot  free. 

"  Look  here,  Newton,"  exclaimed  Uncle 
Ruben,  " ain't  you  goin'  to  arrest  George,  too?" 

The  officer  replied  very  decidedly  that  he 
was  not. 

"What  for?"  demanded  Uncle  Ruben. 

"  Because  I  understand  my  business,  and 
have  no  desire  to  put  an  innocent  boy  to  any 
trouble." 


THE  UPSHOT  OF  THE  WHOLE  MATTER.        173 

"  Well,  it's  mighty  strange  where  my  two 
Plymouth  Rock  chickens  have  gone  to. 
They  was  wuth  two  dollars/'  whined  Uncle 
Ruben,  who  thought  quite  as  much  of  money 
as  Mr.  Stebbins  did. 

The  sheriff  made  no  reply.  Addressing 
himself  to  George,  he  said  : 

"I  shall  probably  need  your  services  on 
Monday  morning." 

"  Very  good,  sir,'7  answered  George.  "  Do 
you  want  me  to  go  down  to  the  village?" 

"  No,  I  will  come  up  here.  And,  Dick,  I 
shall  no  doubt  find  you  and  Bob  at  the  aca- 
demy if  I  have  occasion  to  serve  a  summons 
on  you  ?  All  right.  Good-by  !  I  am  sorry 
that  we  have  put  you  to  so  much  trouble  and 
anxiety." 

"  I  am  not,"  said  Bob  cheerfully.  "  This 
thing  was  bound  to  happen,  sooner  or  later, 
and  now  it  is  over." 

The  sheriff  and  his  party  rode  away,  and 
the  three  boys  went  around  to  the  front 
of  the  cabin  and  seated  themselves  on  the 
bench. 

"  Do  you  know,  Dick,  that  we  had  a  very 


174       THE  MYSTEEY  OF  LOST  RIVEK  CANYON. 

narrow  escape  last  night  ?"  said  Bob,  who 
was  the  first  to  speak. 

"Of  course  I  do.  Didn't  you  see  that 
window  this  morning  ?  It  was  full  of  holes, 
and  if  we  had  been  there — " 

"  I  wasn't  thinking  of  that.  I  mean  it  was 
a  lucky  thing  for  us  that  we  didn't  try  to 
approach  the  house  after  we  drove  the  robbers 
away.  While  you  were  telling  your  story  to 
the  sheriff,  I  heard  Mr.  Stebbins  say  to  a  man 
near  him  that  he  stood  guard  at  that  window 
all  night,  ready  to  shoot  the  first  one  of  us 
who  showed  himself." 

"And  he  would  have  done  it  without  realiz- 
ing what  he  was  about,"  replied  George. 
"His  fright  took  away  all  his  sense.  But 
what  do  you  suppose  the  sheriff  is  coming  up 
here  for  on  Monday  morning  ?" 

That  was  a  question  that  neither  Dick  nor 
Bob  could  answer.  Like  the  causes  that  had 
impelled  Wallace  and  his  companions  to  take 
up  stealing  as  a  pastime,  it  was  a  mystery, 
and  so  it  would  remain  until  time  unravelled  it. 

While  they  were  discussing  the  matter, 
Dick  Langdon  caught  a  momentary  glimpse 


THE  UPSHOT  OF  THE  WHOLE  MATTER.         175 

of  something  that  brought  him  to  his  feet  and 
sent  him  post-haste  into  the  cabin.  When  he 
came  out  again,  he  carried  his  double-barrel 
in  his  hands,  and  his  cartridge-belt  was 
buckled  about  his  waist. 

"Have  you  fellows  forgotten  that  we  are 
hungry,  and  that  dinner  was  to  be  served 
immediately  ?"  he  asked.  "  Now  make  your- 
selves useful  as  well  as  ornamental,  while  I  go 
out  and  shoot  a  squirrel.  I  just  saw  one  run 
up  that  hickory  tree." 

Dick  moved  away  with  stealthy  footsteps, 
holding  his  gun  in  readiness  for  a  shot,  and 
Bob  and  George  went  about  their  work  in 
that  listless,  die-away  manner  that  boys  al- 
ways assume  when  they  are  compelled  to  do 
something  in  which  they  feel  no  interest. 
Their  excitement  had  taken  away  their  appe- 
tites. 

Their  tongues  were  busier  than  their  hands, 
and  as  soon  as  Bob  found  an  opportunity  to 
do  so,  he  asked  George  why  it  was  that  Uncle 
Ruben  had  manifested  so  strong  a  desire  to 
get  him  into  trouble.  The  latter  replied  by 
telling  as  much  of  his  private  history  as  he 


176       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  RIVER  CANYON. 

cared  to  reveal  to  a  boy  who  was  almost  a 
stranger  to  him,  and  when  he  ceased  speaking, 
Bob  said  : 

"  You  may  have  the  satisfaction  of  knowing 
that  from  this  time  on  you  need  never  see  him 
again,  unless  you  are  willing  to  do  so.  Wallace 
and  the  others  will  be  brought  to  trial,  of 
course,  and  you  will  have  to  appear  as  a  wit- 
ness. When  you  go  down  to  the  village  in 
obedience  to  the  summons,  be  sure  and  take 
all  your  clothes  with  you,  for  you  are  not 
coming  back  here  to  live  like  a  wild  Injun," 
he  added  with  a  laugh. 

"  What  do  you  mean  by  that?" 

"  I  mean  that  our  old  janitor  is  going  to 
leave  next  Monday  night — he's  real  hateful, 
and  the  boys  played  so  many  tricks  on  him, 
that  he  can't  stand  it  any  longer — and  you 
are  to  take  his  place.  Dick  and  I  have  set- 
tled it." 

George  could  hardly  believe  that  he  had 
heard  aright.  If  Uncle  Ruben  had  suc- 
ceeded in  proving  that  he  was  a  chicken-thief, 
he  could  not  have  been  more  amazed.  He 
saw  a  bright  prospect  opening  before  him. 


THE  UPSHOT  OF  THE  WHOLE  MATTER.         177 

All  he  asked  was  an  opportunity  to  get  an 
education,  and  lie  would  answer  for  his  own 
future. 

"  Lend  me  your  knife  long  enough  to  open 
this  can  of  milk,"  said  Bob.  "It's  bigger 
and  stronger  than  mine.  That's  the  way  the 
thing  stands.  You  are  to  take  care  of  the 
buildings — there  is  another  fellow  there  who 
looks  out  for  the  grounds — ring  the  bell  at 
certain  hours,  and  see  to  it  that  the  boys 
don't  run  off  with  it,  or  the  ropes  belonging 
to  it,  every  chance  they  get.  You'll  have  to 
report  us  for  every  violation  of  the  rules,  and 
take  a  good  thrashing  every  time  you  do  it. 
You'll  have  to  attend  to  lots  of  things  that 
I  can't  think  of  now,  and,  in  return,  you'll 
get  your  books  and  schooling  free,  and  money 
enough  to  keep  you  in  clothes.  Professor 
Boyle  says  he  thinks  you  are  just  the  boy  he 
has  been  looking  for." 

"  But  I  don't  know  him,"  stammered 
George. 

"  No  matter.  I  know  him,  and  so  does 
Dick.  My  father  knew  him  well  when  they 

were  boys  together,   and  that  is   the   reason 

12 


178       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  RIVER  CANYON. 

he  sends  me  so  far  away  from  home  to  go 
to  school." 

"  You  are  at  the  bottom  of  this,  Bob — you 
and  Dick — but  I  don't  know  how  to  thank 
you  for  it,"  said  George,  at  length. 

"  Do  you  remember  what  you  said  to  me 
when  you  brought  my  gun  up  from  the  bot- 
tom of  the  lake  ?"  asked  Bob.  "  You  needn't 
try." 

George  thought  it  best  to  act  upon  this  ad- 
vice, for  he  could  not  find  words  with  which 
to  express  his  gratitude. 


THE  RENDEZVOUS.  179 


CHAPTER   XV. 

THE    RENDEZVOUS. 

EORGE'S  unexpected  stroke  of  fortune 
VJT  put  new  life  and  energy  into  him,  and 
he  worked  to  such  good  purpose  that  in  less 
than  three-quarters  of  an  hour  the  dinner  was 
ready  and  waiting. 

Neither  of  them  had  much  to  say,  each 
being  fully  occupied  with  his  own  thoughts. 
George  was  telling  himself  how  good  he  was 
going  to  be,  how  hard  he  was  going  to  study 
when  he  was  fairly  installed  at  the  academy, 
and  had  learned  how  to  perform  the  duties 
that  were  required  of  him,  while  his  com- 
panion was  looking  a  little  further  into  the 
future. 

Bob  Howard  had  as  good  a  home  as  any 
boy  ever  had,  and,  unlike  a  good  many  of  his 
age,  he  knew  and  fully  appreciated  the  bene- 
fits of  it ;  but  it  was  a  lonely  home  in  some 


180       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  RIVER  CANYON. 

respects,  for  he  bad  no  mother,  and  not  a 
playmate  within  many  miles  of  him.  Here 
was  a  boy  who  had  saved  his  life  at  the  im- 
minent risk  of  his  own,  who  was  also  mother- 
less, who  had  no  father  worth  mentioning, 
and  if  he  found  that  George,  speaking  in 
schoolboy  parlance,  "  wore  well  " — if,  after 
summering  and  wintering  him,  he  became  sat- 
isfied that  he  was  as  good  a  fellow  in  every  re- 
spect as  he  seemed  to  be — why  shouldn't  he 
take  him  home  with  him  when  they  had  both 
completed  the*  course  at  the  academy,  and 
make  a  brother  of  him?  The  house  was 
large  enough  for  them — if  it  were  not,  the 
mountain  range  around  it  was — and  Bob  was 
sure  that  his  father  would  give  his  friend  a 
cordial  welcome. 

Bob  was  resolved  that  he  would  think  the 
matter  over  when  he  could  devote  more  time 
to  it. 

"What  shall  we  do  now?"  said  George, 
breaking  in  on  his  reverie.  "  Dinner  is  ready, 
but  Dick  hasn't  returned." 

"  We'll  not  waste  any  time  in  waiting  for 
him,"  replied  Bob.  "  The  last  time  he  shot  he 


THE  RENDEZVOUS.  181 

was  so  far  away  that  I  could  hardly  hear 
the  report  of  his  gun.  Let's  eat  our  dinner 
and  go  back  to  the  bass-hole.  Dick  won't 
come  back  as  long  as  he  can  find  a  squirrel 
to  shoot  at,  and  when  he  does  come  he  can 
help  himself." 

The  boys  did  not  have  as  good  luck  that 
afternoon  as  they  did  in  the  morning,  for 
they  were  on  the  ground  too  early  to  get  the 
evening  fishing.  Still,  they  added  a  few  fine 
bass  to  their  string ;  but,  about  the  time  the 
fish  began  to  show  a  disposition  to  take  the 
bait  promptly,  they  were  obliged  to  pull  up 
the  anchor  and  start  for  the  cabin. 

They  found  Dick  sitting  on  the  bench, 
picking  the  bones  of  a  squirrel  he  had  broiled 
over  the  coals  on  a  forked  stick.  He  had 
eighteen  others  to  carry  home  with  him. 

Having  a  long  walk  before  them,  he  and 
"Bob  decided  to  start  for  the  village  at  once. 
They  wanted  to  get  through  the  woods  before 
dark. 

"  We'll  leave  our  surplus  provisions  here, 
so  that  it  will  not  be  necessary  for  us  to  bring 
a  new  supply  when  we  come  again,"  said 


182       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  RIVER  CANYON. 

Dick,  as  he  proceeded  to  pack  his  squirrels 
and  some  of  the  fish  away  in  his  basket. 
"  Has  Bob  told  you  that  you  are  to  be  janitor 
at  the  academy  ?  All  right ;  but  remember 
that  you  are  to  be  easy  on  the  boys.  If  we 
are  out  after  ten  o'clock,  you  are  to  be  at  the 
gate  to  let  us  in ;  and  you  are  not  to  report 
us,  no  matter  what  we  do.  We'll  see  you  on 
Monday,  I  suppose,  and  you  must  tell  us 
what  the  sheriff  wanted  of  you." 

George  took  his  friends  across  the  lake  in 
his  boat,  put  them  on  the  road  leading  to  the 
village,  and  returned  to  the  cabin,  feeling 
lonely,  indeed,  but  at  the  same  time  very 
much  elated  and  encouraged. 

Monday  morning  came  at  last,  and  with  it 
came  the  deputy  sheriff,  accompanied  by  two 
constables.  They  were  all  mounted,  and  one  of 
the  constables  led  an  extra  horse,  which  George 
soon  learned  was  intended  for  his  own  use. 

"This  is  my  idea  of  a  hunter's  home," 
said  Mr.  Newton,  who  seemed  to  enjoy  the 
view  that  was  spread  out  before  him.  "I 
shouldn't  mind  living  this  way  myself,  if  I 
could  make  a  support  by  it." 


THE  EENDEZVOUS.  183 

"  You  would  find  it  a  dog's  life,"  said 
George.  "At  least,  I  have  found  it  so.  I 
didn't  come  here  from  choice,  and  I  am 
heartily  glad  that  this  is  my  last  day  here. 
How  is  everything  in  the  village?" 

"  Oh,  the  excitement  is  intense,  and  the 
fathers  of  those  young  rogues  are  very  indig- 
nant !  I  have  been  called  everything  but  a 
decent  man  by  them  and  their  friends ;  but  I 
was  justified  in  arresting  them,  for  Benson 
and  Forbes  have  made  a  full  confession. 
Wallace  is  as  defiant  as  ever,  and  neither  de- 
nies nor  acknowledges  anything.  Now, 
George,  do  you  know  where  Dungan  Brook 
is?" 

George  said  that  he  did. 

"  It's  a  wild  place,  I  understand.  Have 
you  been  there  lately  ?" 

"Not  since  last  May,  and  then  I  caught 
the  finest  string  of  trout  there  I  ever  saw." 

"  Well,"  continued  the  officer,  "  there's  one 
place  in  the  ravine  through  which  the  brook 
runs,  that  bears  a  striking  resemblance,  in 
everything  except  grandeur  and  extent,  to  a 
famous  valley  somewhere  out  West,  and  when 


184       THE  MYSTEEY  OF  LOST  EIVEE  CANYON. 

some  of  the  academy  boys  were  botanizing 
there,  a  few  years  ago,  they  named  it  the  Little 
Yosemite." 

"  I  know  right  where  it  is,"  said  George. 

"  Then  take  us  there  by  the  quickest  and 
shortest  route." 

George  closed  the  door  of  the  cabin, 
mounted  the  horse  that  had  been  provided 
for  him,  and  led  the  way  around  the  head  of 
the  lake. 

The  shortest  route  to  the  place  they  wanted 
to  find  was  a  long  one,  and  a  rough  one  too ; 
and,  for  almost  the  entire  distance,  it  led 
through  a  thick  wood,  where  every  step  of  the 
way  was  obstructed  by  bushes  and  fallen  logs, 
which  were  piled  upon  and  across  one  another 
in  every  conceivable  shape. 

After  two  hours  of  slow  and  laborious  rid- 
ing, George  dismounted,  pushed  aside  the 
bushes,  and  gave  his  companions  their  first 
view  of  the  Little  Yosemite.  Dungan  Brook 
they  could  not  see.  It  was  so  far  below  them 
that  the  ripple  of  its  waters  could  be  but 
faintly  heard. 

"As  long  as  I  have  lived  in  this  county  I 


THE  KENDEZVOUS.  185 

never  knew  before  that  it  could  boast  of 
scenery  like  this/'  said  the  sheriff,  as  he 
drew  back  from  the  edge  of  the  gulf,  after 
trying  in  vain  to  see  the  bottom  of  it.  "  How 
are  we  going  to  get  down  there  ?" 

"  Hitch  your  horses,  and  I  will  see  if  I  can 
find  the  path  I  cut  the  last  time  I  was  here," 
said  George.  "  Here  it  is  now,  and,  I  de- 
clare, it  looks  as  though  it  had  been  used," 
he  added,  in  a  tone  of  surprise. 

The  officers  smiled,  but  said  nothing.  They 
followed  their  guide,  as  he  scrambled  down 
the  bluff,  and  in  a  few  minutes  more  they 
were  standing  beside  the  brook. 

"  There's  Le  Capitan,"  said  George,  point- 
ing to  a  huge  rock  on  the  other  side  of  the 
stream,  which  rose  to  the  height  of  two  hun- 
dred feet  without  a  single  break  or  crevice. 

"  I  recognize  the  captain  from  the  descrip- 
tion I  have  received  of  him,''  said  the  sheriff, 
as  he  drew  a  note-book  from  his  pocket,  and 
consulted  a  diagram  that  he  or  somebody  else 
had  drawn  on  one  of  the  pages.  "  He  is  in  a 
bad  business  for  he  is  standing  guard  over 
stolen  property." 


186       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  EIVER  CANYON. 

The  officer  led  the  way  across  the  brook, 
and  around  the  base  of  the  rock,  to  a  thick 
cluster  of  bushes,  in  front  of  which  he 
stopped  long  enough  to  light  a  dark  lantern 
he  had  brought  with  him.  Then  he  dived 
into  the  bushes,  and  when  George  and  the 
constables  followed  him  they  could  not  find 
him. 

He  had  disappeared  in  a  small  opening  in 
the  ground,  which  seemed  to  run  back  under 
the  rock.  Presently  a  bundle  of  something 
came  sailing  out,  then  another  and  another, 
until  there  was  a  small  cartload  of  them 
piled  up  before  the  opening. 

The  constables  examined  them  as  fast  as 
they  came  out,  and  found  that  they  contained 
a  quantity  of  ready-made  clothing,  under- 
wear of  all  kinds,  boxes  of  cigars,  tobacco, 
jewelry,  jack-knives,  pistols,  cutlery,  buffalo 
robes,  blankets,  cloaks,  and  a  lot  of  other 
articles  too  numerous  to  mention. 

The  constables  opened  their  eyes  in  sur- 
prise when  the  sheriff  came  out,  and  told  them 
that  these  were  not  half  the  goods  that  had 
been  stolen.  The  rest  had  been  sold  to  enable 


THE  EENDEZVOUS.  187 

the  thieves  to  raise  money  enough  for  their 
Western  trip. 

"  What  were  they  going  to  do  out  West  ?" 
asked  George. 

"  What  do  people  of  this  stamp  generally 
do  out  there  ?"  asked  the  constable,  in  reply. 
"Benson  and  Forbes  would  have  died  of 
home-sickness,  and  Wallace  would  have  been 
in  the  hands  of  a  vigilance  committee  in  less 
than  a  week.  Now  let's  go  up  to  head-quar- 
ters, and  see  what  we  shall  find  there." 

After  taking  another  look  at  his  diagram, 
the  sheriff  moved  up  the  ravine,  closely  ex- 
amining the  base  of  the  bluff  as  he  went, 
and  when  he  stopped,  it  was  in  front  of  a 
little  pole  cabin,  which  was  so  effectually 
concealed  by  the  thick  shrubbery  and  trees 
that  surrounded  it  that  one  might  have  passed 
within  five  feet  of  it  without  knowing  that 
there  was  any  cabin  there.  Having  opened 
the  door,  which  was  formed  of  half  a  dozen 
saplings  that  fitted  loosely  into  holes  in  the 
ground,  the  sheriff  went  in  and  flashed  his 
lantern  around. 

"  This  is  where  they  used  to  come  to  hold 


188       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  EIVEE  CANYON. 

their  revels  and  plan  their  expeditions,"  said 
he. 

Wallace  and  his  two  friends  had  passed  the 
preceding  Saturday  there,  perfecting  their 
scheme  for  driving  George  Edwards  away 
from  the  lake,  and  securing  possession  of  Mr. 
Stebbins'  money,  and  everything  in  the  cabin 
was  just  as  they  had  left  it. 

There  were  the  dishes  from  which  they  had 
eaten  their  dinner,  the  hammocks  in  which 
they  had  swung  while  talking  over  their  plans, 
and  the  books  and  papers  that  had  helped 
them  while  awaj"  their  leisure  time  were  scat- 
tered about. 

The  officer  picked  up  one  of  the  books,  and 
turning  to  the  title-page,  read  the  words, "  The 
Life  of  Jesse  James."  Throwing  it  aside  with 
an  exclamation  of  disgust,  he  picked  up  an- 
other, which  was  entitled,  "  Wild  Harry,  the 
Black  Valley  Demon." 

"  Here  is  the  secret  of  the  whole  matter, 
and  I  can  now  understand  some  things  that  I 
couldn't  see  through  before,"  said  the  officer. 
"  Those  foolish  boys  have  poisoned  their  minds 
by  reading  dime  novels,  and  are  anxious  to 


THE  RENDEZVOUS.  189 

imitate  the  heroes  of  them.  I  see  that  Wal- 
lace's name  is  on  some,  and  that  Forbes  and 
Benson  own  the  others.  Pick  them  up  and 
be  careful  of  them,  for  they  will  do  for  evi- 
dence." 

George  accompanied  the  officers  to  the 
village,  not  forgetting  to  take  his  clothes  with 
him,  as  Bob  had  directed,  appeared  as  one 
of  the  witnesses  at  the  preliminary  examina- 
tion which  was  held  that  afternoon,  and  that 
night  he  slept  at  the  academy,  so  that  he 
could  be  ready  to  assume  his  duties  the  next 
morning. 

The  arrest  and  trial  of  the  guilty  boys 
created  a  greater  sensation  than  the  quiet 
little  village  of  Montford  had  ever  known 
before. 

Their  fathers  exerted  themselves  to  the 
utmost  in  their  behalf;  but  their  efforts  to 
clear  them  were  entirely  unsuccessful,  and 
the  most  they  could  do  was  to  secure  a  miti- 
gation of  the  punishment  they  so  richly  de- 
served. 

As  soon  as  the  excitement  was  over,  our 
three  friends  settled  down  to  business,  work- 


190        THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  RIVER  CANYON. 

ing  hard  for  five  days  in  the  week,  and  spend- 
ing every  pleasant  Saturday  at  the  lake. 

George  Edwards  proved  to  be  an  apt  pu- 
pil, and  very  soon  became  one  of  the  most 
popular  students  at  the  academy.  At  first, 
the  boys  played  tricks  upon  him,  in  spite 
of  all  his  caution  ;  but  George  submitted  so 
good-naturedly,  and  did  his  full  duty  in  so 
manly  a  way,  that  they  finally  left  off  both- 
ering him. 

At  the  end  of  his  second  school  year,  Bob 
was  permitted  to  take  up  his  abode  at  a  pri- 
vate house  in  the  village,  and,  at  his  earnest 
solicitation,  George  consented  to  room  with 
him. 

They  studied,  worked,  and  played  together, 
and  it  finally  came  to  be  understood  be- 
tween them,  that,  if  they  could  possibly  pre- 
vent it,  they  were  not  to  allow  themselves  to 
be  separated  as  long  as  they  lived. 

George  did  not  know  what  he  was  bring- 
ing upon  himself  by  consenting  to  this  ar- 
rangement. 

Having  described,  as  rapidly  as  we  could, 
the  various  incidents  that  had  operated  to 


THE  EENDEZVOUS.  191 

bring  these  two  boys  together,  let  us  go  back 
to  where  we  first  found  them — to  the  day  on 
which  that  telegram  arrived  from  Arizona. 

It  was  the  last  day  they  ever  expected  to 
spend  in  Montford,  and  it  had  been  big  with 
events.  They  had  passed  their  examination 
with  flying  colors,  the  base-ball  club  to  which 
they  belonged  had  established  its  claim  to 
the  championship,  after  a  hotly-contested 
game,  and  the  two  friends — there  were  only 
two  of  them  now,  for  Dick  Langdon  had  com- 
pleted the  course  a  year  before — were  in  high 
spirits. 

Having  exchanged  their  uniforms  for  their 
ordinary  clothes,  and  taken  a  run  around  the 
bases  for  the  last  time,  they  set  out  for  their 
boarding-house. 


192       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  RIVER  CANYON. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

HOW    ONE    TELEGRAM    WAS    RECEIVED. 

BOB  HOWARD  and  bis  companion  had 
other  reasons  besides  those  of  which  we 
have  spoken,  for  feeling  at  peace  with  them- 
selves and  all  the  world. 

By  hard  work  and  strict  attention  to  their 
books,  they  had  succeeded  in  winning  an  en- 
viable position  in  their  class,  and  this  night 
was  to  wind  up  their  connection  with  the 
academy  in  a  blaze  of  glory. 

George  had  written  an  essay  on  "  Uncon- 
scious Influence,"  which  was  a  very  creditable 
effort  for  a  boy  of  his  years,  and  Bob  had  been 
chosen,  without  one  dissenting  voice,  to  de- 
liver the  valedictory. 

Their  trunks  were  packed,  their  tickets  had 
been  purchased,  and  their  landlady  had  pro- 
mised to  give  them  an  early  breakfast,  so  that 
they  could  reach  the  depot  in  time  to  catch 


HOW  ONE  TELEGKAM  WAS  EECEIVED.          193 

the  western-bound  train  that  passed  through 
the  village  at  six  o'clock. 

"  "The  time  draws  near/'  said  Bob,  with  a 
tragic  air,  as  he  glanced  at  the  little  clock  on 
the  mantelpiece.  "  In  five  hours  we  shall  have 
made  our  last  bow  to  a  Montford  audience. 
The  only  thing  I  regret  is  the  absence  of  my 
father ;  but  he  was  not  at  all  well  when  I  last 
heard  from  him,  and  he  didn't  feel  as  though 
he  could  stand  the  journey.  By  this  time 
to-morrow,  if  nothing  happens  "to  delay  us, 
we  shall  be  hurrying  to  meet  him  as  fast  as 
steam  can  carry  us.  I  tell  you,  George,  you 
may  make  up  your  mind  to  see  some  fun 
when  we  get  out  there  in  that  wilderness,  and 
for  once  in  your  life  you  will  have  hunting, 
fishing,  and  horseback  riding  until  you  are 
heartily  tired  of  them  all.  Father  has  a  pack 
of  splendid  hounds,  and  it  will  make  you  laugh 
to  see  them  in  pursuit  of  an  antelope  or  prairie 
wolf.  When  you  grow  weary  of  that  sport, 
you  can  go  out  with  a  double-barrel  and  shoot 
grouse  and  sage-hens  over  as  fine  a  brace  of 
setters  as  ever  drew  to  a  scent.  Trout  streams 
are  plenty,  and  any  one  who  can  throw  the 

13 


194       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  EIVEE  CANYON. 

fly  can  snatch  out  such  beauties  as  you  don't 
see  here  in  the  Eastern  States  this  side  of  the 
Rangeley  Lakes.  There  is  one  thing  we  must 
do,  George,  as  soon  as  we  can  gain  father's 
consent — we  must  clear  up  a  certain  mystery 
that  hangs  over  those  mountains." 

"  I  have  often  heard  you  speak  of  it,"  re- 
plied George,  with  a  smile ;  "  but  you  have 
never  told  me  what  it  is." 

"  If  I  could  tell  you,  it  wouldn't  be  a  mys- 
tery, would  it  ?  You  needn't  laugh  about  it, 
for  there  is  a  mystery  there,  and  in  all  that 
country  there  is  no  one  who  has  ever  been 
able  to  solve  it.  The  Indians  or  some  of 
the  trappers  might  do  it,  but  they  won't 
try,  for  their  superstition  makes  them  timid. 
Several  parties,  composed  of  settlers  and  sol- 
diers, and  one  or  two  scientific  expeditions 
from  Eastern  colleges,  have  started  out  from 
our  valley,  declaring  that  they  wouldn't 
come  back  until  the  thing  was  cleared  up; 
but  they  have  always  returned,  after  a  few 
weeks'  absence,  in  a  most  dilapidated  condi- 
tion." 

"  There  must  be  a  good  many  obstacles  to 


HOW  ONE  TELEGRAM  WAS  EECEIVED.    195 

be  overcome/7  said  George,  "  but  you  may 
count  on  me  every  time." 

"All  right.  I  shall  some  day  put  your 
courage  to  the  test.  Now  I  will  tell  you 
what  I  have  decided  to  do.  If  my  father  is 
no  worse  when  I  reach  home,  I  shall  go  to 
college.  He  wants  me  to  do  it,  and  I  should 
like  to  carry  out  his  wishes,  although  I  ex- 
pect to  be  a  ranchman  all  my  life.  If  he  re- 
quires my  presence  at  home,  I  shall  remain 
there,  and  you  must  stay  with  me.  I  will 
give  you  a  position  as  herdsman  at  good 
wages,  and  will  pay  you  in  money  or  sheep, 
or  both,  just  as  you  prefer.  You  can  make 
enough  in  a  few  years,  by  steady  work  and 
economy,  to  start  a  ranch  of  your  own  on  a 
small  scale." 

"  You  are  very  kind,  Bob/'  said  George. 

"  No,  I  am  not.  I  am  only  selfish.  I  am 
thinking  quite  as  much  of  my  own  comfort 
and  pleasure  as  I  am  of  yours.  I  don't  want 
to  stay  out  there  with  no  congenial  com- 
panion to  help  me  while  away  the  time.  It 
is  lonely,  especially  in  winter,  when  we  are 
snowed  up  or  confined  to  the  house  for  days 


196       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  EIVER  CANYON. 

at  a  time  by  those  furious  storms  that  we 
call  '  blizzards/  And  since  you  have  no 
home  of  your  own,  and  no  father  or  mother, 
why  shouldn't  you  go  with  me?" 

"  Wouldn't  it  be  more  agreeable  for  you  to 
take  your  Cousin  Arthur  out  there  with  you  ?" 
asked  George.  "  I  have  often  heard  you 
speak  of  him." 

"  No,  it  wouldn't,"  answered  Bob,  quickly. 
"  His  father — Uncle  Bob,  after  whom  I  was 
named — treated  my  father  most  shamefully, 
and  they  have  not  seen  each  other  for  years. 
Father  has  forgiven  him,  and  Uncle  Bob  now 
and  then  writes  him  very  friendly  letters  ; 
but  I  am  afraid  of  Uncle  Bob,  for  I  know 
that  he  is  cunning  and  vindictive,  and  always 
on  the  lookout  f  )r  a  chance  to  work  some  in- 
jury to  those  he  does  not  like,  because  my 
mother  often  told  me  so.  I  have  seen  him 
and  Arthur  several  times,  but  I  did  not  like 
either  of  them.  There  is  too  much  'Oily 
Gammon'  about  Uncle  Bob,  while  Arthur  is— 
Well,  the  less  said  about  him  the  better.  I 
wouldn't  take  him  into  my  father's  house 
under  any  consideration,  for  his  presence  there 


HOW  ONE  TELEGRAM  WAS  RECEIVED.    197 

would  be  enough  to  rob  life  of  all  its  pleas- 
ure. I  say,  George!"  exclaimed  Bob,  sud- 
denly, "  What  is  that  on  the  table  there  by 
your  elbow  ?" 

George  raised  his  arm,  and,  discovering  the 
brown  envelope,  he  picked  it  up  and  looked 
at  it. 

"  Why,  it  is  a  telegram,  addressed  to  you !" 
said  he,  handing  it  over  to  his  friend,  whose 
face  had  suddenly  grown  as  pale  as  death. 

"A  telegram  !"  gasped  Bob.  "  It  can  mean 
but  one  of  two  things.  My  father  is  worse, 
or  else  he  is — " 

Bob  could  say  no  more.  With  trembling 
hands,  he  tore  open  the  dispatch,  and,  with 
one  swift  glance,  made  himself  master  of  its 
contents.  Then  he  pressed  his  hand  to  his 
forehead  in  a  bewildered  sort  of  way,  reeled 
a  moment,  as  if  some  one  had  dealt  him  a 
stunning  blow,  and,  falling  heavily  back  upon 
the  sofa,  he  covered  his  face  with  his  hands 
and  burst  into  tears.  The  telegram  fluttered 
out  of  his  nerveless  fingers. 

George  picked  it  up,  and  read  the  follow- 
ing fateful  words : 


198       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  KIVER  CANYON. 

"  Your  father  died  very  suddenly  this  morning. 
Come  home  immediately,  and  telegraph  me  from 
Leavenworth  when  to  meet  you  at  the  station. 

G.  H.  EVANS." 

We  will  not  speak  of  the  scene  that  fol- 
lowed. Such  sorrow  as  this,  which  had  come 
upon  Bob  Howard  like  a  clap  of  thunder 
from  a  clear  sky,  is  too  sacred  to  be  intruded 
upon,  even  by  a  sympathizing  pen. 

It  will  be  enough  to  say  that  after  the  first 
overwhelming  burst  of  grief  had  passed  away, 
Bob  acted  more  like  a  caged  tiger  than  a 
human  being.  He  longed  to  fly  on  the  wings 
of  the  wind  to  his  far-off  home,  in  order  that 
he  might  gaze  once  more  upon  that  loved  face 
before  the  darkness  of  the  grave  shut  it  out 
forever  from  his  view. 

But  steam  was  the  only  power  that  could 
take  him  there.  The  next  train  left  the  vil- 
lage at  six  in  the  morning,  and  that  was  the 
one  Bob  had  intended  to  take. 

He  ate  no  supper,  and  when  the  time  came 
he  began  preparing  himself  for  the  evening's 
festivities.  What  a  mockery  they  seemed  to 
him  now ! 


HOW  ONE  TELEGRAM  WAS  RECEIVED.          199 

"Don't  go,"  said  George,  who  had  tried 
his  best  to  say  something  comforting  to  his 
almost  heart-broken  friend.  "  The  professor 
will  not  expect  anything  of  you  to-night." 

"  I  shall  go  and  deliver  my  speech — that  is, 
if  I  have  brains  enough  to  remember  it," 
said  Bob,  quietly  but  firmly.  "  This  sorrow 
is  my  own.  No  one  in  the  wide  world  has  a 
share  in  it,  and  you  will  see  that  I  have  self- 
control  enough  to  take  me  through  the  exer- 
cises without  detracting  in  the  least  from  any- 
body's enjoyment." 

And  he  kept  his  word. 

The  news  of  his  bereavement  had  spread 
all  through  the  village  by  this  time,  and  not 
one  of  the  vast  audience  that  crowded  the 
Academy  Chapel  expected  to  see  him  on  the 
stage. 

When  the  valedictory  was  announced,  and 
the  young  orator  appeared  before  the  foot- 
lights, a  silence  that  was  almost  oppressive 
fell  upon  the  assembly.  They  all  sympa- 
thized with  the  boy,  and  their  sympathy  was 
so  intense  that,  like  the  darkness  that  covered 
the  land  of  Egypt,  it  could  be  felt. 


200       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  RIVER  CANYON. 

Bob's  voice  was  husky,  and  trembled  a 
little  at  first,  but  he  gradually  regained  the 
mastery  of  himself  as  he  proceeded,  and, 
when  he  ended  his  peroration,  the  applause 
that  followed  fairly  shook  the  building. 

It  was  a  spontaneous  outburst  of  admira- 
tion, not  for  the  oratorical  effort  of  the  student 
— which  was  something  better  than  common 
— but  for  the  wonderful  nerve  he  exhibited. 
Few  boys  could  have  passed  through  such  an 
ordeal. 

Bob  set  out  for  his  boarding-house  as  soon 
as  he  left  the  stage,  and  when  George  entered 
the  room,  an  hour  later,  he  was  pacing  the 
floor,  with  his  hands  buried  deep  in  his 
pockets,  and  his  chin  resting  on  his  breast. 
He  was  calmer  now,  and  he  even  smiled  as 
he  gave  his  chum  an  approving  slap  on  the 
back. 

"  You  did  yourself  credit  to-night,  George," 
said  he.  "  If  I  could  write  an  essay  like  that, 
I  should  feel  proud  of  myself.  Now,  go  to 
bed,  and  I  will  have  you  up  at  five  o'clock 
in  the  morning.  I  will  lie  down  on  the  sofa 
when  I  get  tired.  I  know  how  to  sympathize 


HOW  ONE  TELEGEAM  WAS  RECEIVED.          201 

with  you  now,  for  I  am  alone  in  the  world  as 
you  are." 

"  There  are  your  uncle  and  your  cousin/' 
George  ventured  to  remark. 

"  They  are  no  more  to  me  than  they  are  to 
you/'  replied  Bob.  "I  shall  drop  them  a 
line,  telling  them  of  father's  death,  but  be- 
yond that,  I  shall  have  nothing  to  do  with 
them.  They  can  stay  at  their  home  in  In- 
diana, and  you  and  I  will  live  on  the  ranch. 
You  are  all  I  have,  and  you  must  stick  to 


me." 


Neither  of  the  two  boys  slept  a  wink  that 
night.  Bob  walked  the  floor,  and  George  lay 
in  bed,  watching  him  through  his  half-closed 
eyes. 

At  half-past  five  they  disposed  of  a  hasty 
breakfast,  said  "  good-by  "  to  their  landlady, 
and  to  a  few  friends  among  the  students  who 
had  come  to  the  depot  to  see  them  off,  and 
then  the  fast  express  whirled  them  away  to- 
ward St.  Louis. 

Up  to  this  time,  Bob  Howard's  career  had 
been  rather  an  uneventful  one  ;  but  now,  ca- 
pricious fate  had  taken  him  in  hand,  and 


202       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  RIVEE  CANYON. 

ordered  that  during  the  next  few  months  his 
life  was  to  be  crowded  full  of  such  excite- 
ment and  adventure,  such  perils  and  start- 
ling surprises,  as  never  before  fell  to  the  lot 
of  any  boy. 

He  was  to  be  given  ample  opportunity 
for  the  exercise  of  the  extraordinary  nerve 
and  pluck  which  he  had  exhibited  while 
delivering  his  valedictory,  but  with  this  dif- 
ference : 

Then,  he  was  in  the  presence  of  friends, 
who  would  willingly  have  made  every  allow- 
ance for  him,  had  any  forbearance  or  consid- 
eration on  their  part  been  necessary;  but 
hereafter  he  was  to  be  surrounded  by  ene- 
mies, who  were  already  plotting  his  ruin, 
and  who  stood  ready  to  take  every  possible 
advantage  of  him. 

Let  us  follow  that  other  telegram  to  its 
destination,  and  see  who  some  of  these  ene- 
mies were. 


TWO  NEW  CHARACTERS.  203 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

TWO    NEW    CHARACTERS. 

•  •  TF  my  last  half-hour's  experience  isn't 
JL  enough  to  disgust  any  one  with  the 
dry- goods  business,  and  everything  connected 
with  it,  I  wouldn't  say  so." 

Arthur  Howard  suspended  for  a  moment 
the  distasteful  work  of  rolling  up  the  bolts  of 
goods  with  which  his  counter  was  covered,  and 
gazed  after  a  party  of  ladies  who  had  just 
gone  out. 

While  they  were  in  the  store  he  was  all 
bows  and  smiles,  struck  imposing  attitudes, 
fumbled  with  the  watch-chain  that  hung 
across  his  vest,  rested  his  white  hands  on 
the  counter,  so  that  the  immense  seal-ring  he 
wore  on  the  third  finger  of  his  left  hand 
could  be  plainly  seen,  and  tried  in  various 
other  ways  to  make  himself  appear  interest- 
ing in  the  eyes  of  his  fair  customers ;  but 


204       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  KIVEK  CANYON. 

now  he  frowned  fiercely,  and  slammed  the 
heavy  bolts  about  as  if  he  were  in  no  amiable 
frame  of  mind. 

He  grew  angry  every  time  he  looked  to- 
ward the  street.  The  day  was  bright  and 
pleasant,  and  not  too  warm  for  comfort,  and 
everybody  in  town  seemed  to  have  come  out 
for  a  ride  or  a  promenade. 

"  Everybody  except  me  sees  some  pleasure 
in  this  world,"  said  Mr.  Arthur  Howard,  re- 
suming his  work.  "  I  have  to  toil  and  slave 
all  the  time  for  wages  that  are  barely  enough 
to  keep  me  in  cigars ;  and,  more  than  all,  I 
can't  look  forward  to  anything  better.  I  shall 
lead  a  dog's  life  as  long  as  I  live.  If  I  had 
money  I  should  be  perfectly  happy,  and  I 
would  do  anything  in  the  world  to  get  it. 
What  did  you  say,  sir  ?" 

This  question  was  addressed  to  one  of  the 
proprietors  of  the  store,  who  leaned  over  the 
counter  and  said  something  in  a  tone  so  low 
that  Arthur  did  not  catch  the  words. 

"  Mr.  Allen  desires  your  presence  in  the 
office,"  was  the  reply. 

The  clerk's  under  jaw  dropped,  and  he  grew 


TWO  NEW  CHARACTERS.  205 

red  and  pale  by  turns,  as  he  left  his  counter 
and  walked  toward  the  office,  where  the  head 
of  the  firm,  a  stern  old  gentleman,  with  gold 
eye  glasses  perched  on  the  top  of  his  nose,  sat 
in  an  easy  chair  waiting  for  him. 

"Howard,"  said  the  merchant,  when  the 
clerk  in  obedience  to  a  sign  from  his  em- 
ployer, had  closed  the  door  behind  him, 
"how  much  do  we  pay  you  for  your  ser- 
vices ?" 

"  Twenty-five  dollars  a  month,  sir,"  was  the 
answer. 

And  the  tone  in  which  it  was  given  was 
humble  enough.  The  clerk  was  always 
cringing  in  his  demeanor  toward  his  superi- 
ors, and  haughty  and  overbearing  when  in 
the  presence  of  those  whom  he  considered 
to  be  beneath  him  in  the  social  scale.  He 
was  just  the  sort  of  person  that  tyrants  are 
made  of. 

"  Well,  now,  what  I  want  to  know  is  this/* 
continued  the  senior  partner.  "  How  can  you 
afford  to  dress  as  you  do,  and  sport  a  watch 
and  chain,  and  rings,  and  patent-leather  shoes, 
on  twenty-five  dollars  a  month  ?  I  can't  afford 


206       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  EIVER  CANYON. 

so  much  finery  on  ten  times  that  amount. 
Then,  your  billiards  and  cigars  must  cost  you 
a  tidy  sum,  and  you  don't  get  those  livery 
horses  that  you  drive  out  into  the  country 
every  Sunday  for  nothing." 

"  It  takes  all  my  salary,  sir,"  replied  the 
clerk,  pulling  out  his  handkerchief  and  ar- 
ranging his  moustache,  not  because  it  needed 
arranging,  but  because  he  wanted  to  conceal 
his  face  from  his  employer. 

He  knew  that  it  was  as  red  as  fire,  for  he 
could  feel  it  burn. 

"Are  you  sure  that  you  don't  spend  more 
than  your  salary  ?"  asked  the  merchant,  in  a 
very  significant  tone  of  voice. 

"Oh,  yes,  sir!  yes,  sir! — quite  sure!"  re- 
plied Mr.  Howard,  with  more  earnestness 
than  the  occasion  seemed  to  demand. 

He  wanted  to  add,  "  You  surely  do  not  sus- 
pect me  of  dishonesty  ?"  but  the  words  stuck 
in  his  throat. 

"  Well,"  said  the  merchant,  after  looking 
sharply  at  the  clerk  for  a  moment,  "  all  I  have 
to  say  is,  that  you  can  make  twenty-five  dol- 
lars go  much  further  than  I  can.  I  cannot 


TWO  NEW  CHAEACTEES.  207 

permit  so  much  extravagance  among  those 
in  my  employ,  for,  to  say  the  least,  it  looks 
suspicious.  So  I  have  called  you  in  here  for 
the  purpose  of  telling  you  that  we  shall  have 
no  further  occasion  for  your  services.  There 
is  the  money  we  owe  you.  Good-day !" 

"  I  am  welt  out  of  that  scrape,"  said  Mr. 
Howard  to  himself,  as  he  walked  rapidly 
away  from  the  store.  "  I  have  been  looking 
for  it  for  a  long  time,  and  I  am  glad  it  is  over. 
They  can't  prove  anything  against  me,  for  I 
have  been  very  careful,  and  never  took  more 
than  two  dollars  at  a  time.  Of  course,  when 
the  receipts  ran  up  to  two  or  three  hundred 
dollars  a  day,  so  small  an  amount  as  that 
wouldn't  be  missed.  Now,  where  shall  I, 
look  for  another  situation  ?  Well,  I'll  not 
think  about  that  now.  '  Sufficient  unto  the 
day  is  the  evil  thereof/  as  Shakespeare  says. 
I  guess  I'll  smoke." 

This  soliloquy  would  seem  to  indicate  that 
trouble  sat  very  lightly  on  Mr.  Howard's 
shoulders,  and  that  he  was  not  very  well 
posted  in  either  Shakespeare  or  the  Bible. 

It  would  also  seem  to  indicate  that  the  sus- 


208       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  RIVER  CANYON. 

picions  liis  late  employer  entertained  regard- 
ing his  honesty  were  well  founded. 

Mr.  Howard  did  not  care  a  snap  of  his  fin- 
ger for  those  suspicions  ;  but  he  did  care  for 
the  loss  of  his  situation,  for  he  knew  that  if 
he  did  not  work  he  could  get  no  money  to 
spend. 

He  turned  into  a  little  cigar  store  while  he 
was  communing  with  himself,  and  when  he 
came  out,  with  a  freshly-lighted  Havana  be- 
tween his  fingers,  he  saw  a  sight  that  en- 
raged him. 

An  elegant  top-buggy,  drawn  by  a  pair  of 
stylish,  high-stepping  horses,  which  moved 
as  if  they  were  proud  of  the  gold-mounted 
.harness  they  wore,  dashed  along  the  street. 

The  reins  were  held  by  an  exquisitely- 
dressed  young  gentleman  who  managed  them 
adroitly  with  one  hand,  while  with  the  other 
he  saluted  the  friends  and  acquaintances  he 
saw  on  the  sidewalk.  But  there  was  no  salute 
for  Mr.  Howard — only  a  barely  perceptible 
nod  of  the  head,  which  the  latter  pretended 
he  did  not  see. 

"  I  declare,  it's   enough   to  make   one  do 


TWO  NEW  CIIAEACTEKS.  209 

something  desperate,"  thought  he,  as  he  threw 
his  cigar  spitefully  into  the  gutter  and  re- 
sumed his  walk.  "Look  at  me,  and  then 
look  at  Coal  Oil  Tom  !  I  have  just  seventy 
dollars  in  my  pocket,  less  what  I  paid  for  that 
cigar,  and  no  prospect  of  getting  any  more. 
Five  years  ago  Tom  was  a  hostler  in  a  hotel 
stable,  somewhere  in  Pennsylvania — a  low, 
ignorant  hostler — and  all  he  had  in  the  world 
was  a  little,  rocky  farm  that  he  couldn't  give 
away.  But  oil  was  discovered  on  that  farm, 
and  to-day  Tom  is  worth  half  a  million  dol- 
lars. He  doesn't  know  enough  to  keep  him 
over  night,  but  his  money  takes  him  into  the 
best  society,  while  I —  I  wish  those  horses 
would  run  away,  and  throw  him  out  and  break 
his  neck !" 

Mr.  Howard  stopped,  and  looked  back  at 
the  carriage  that  contained  the  object  of  his 
envy,  as  if  he  fully  expected  that  his  amiable 
wish  would  be  gratified.  But  the  rapidly- 
moving  trotters  were  kept  under  perfect  con- 
trol, and  in  a  short  time  took  their  driver 
safely  out  of  Mr.  Howard's  sight. 

A  quarter  of  an  hour's  walk  brought  the 

14 


210       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  RIVER  CANYON. 

clerk  to  his  home — a  little  cottage  in  an  ob- 
scure street,  whose  surroundings  bore  testi- 
mony to  the  poverty  or  shiftlessness  of  its 
occupants. 

The  house,  as  well  as  the  fence  in  front  of 
it,  was  sadly  in  need  of  paint ;  some  of  the 
blinds  hung  by  one  hinge,  disclosing  to  the 
public  gaze  windows  with  broken  panes  and 
sashes  heavily  festooned  with  cobwebs ;  and 
the  flower  garden,  once  the  pride  of  Arthur's 
mother,  now  dead  and  gone,  had  been  given 
up  to  weeds,  which  also  covered  the  walk  that 
led  from  the  gate  through  a  narrow  alley  to 
the  back  door. 

"  This  is  a  pretty  place  for  a  white  man  to 
call  home,  I  must  say!"  said  the  clerk  to 
himself,  while  bitterness  rankled  in  his  heart. 
"  When  I  come  here,  after  passing  the  fine 
houses  on  Crosby  Street,  where  those  happy 
young  people  spend  every  afternoon  in  play- 
ing croquet  on  the  finely-kept  lawns,  I  tell 
you  it  makes  me  feel  wicked  when  I  contrast 
their  circumstances  with  my  own.  No  one 
ever  thinks  of  inviting  me  to  make  one  of 
such  a  party,  and  yet  I  am  just  as  good  as 


TWO  NEW  CHARACTERS.  211 

the  best  of  them.  It's  the  ready  cash  that 
determines  one's  position  in  this  world.  I 
wonder  what  the  governor  will  have  to  say  to 
me  ?  Of  course  I  shall  not  tell  him  why  I 
was  discharged." 

Passing  through  the  kitchen,  where  a  slov- 
enly servant  girl  was  moving  leisurely  about 
making  preparations  for  supper,  Arthur  en- 
tered the  sitting-room,  and  found  there  a 
shabby-genteel  old  man,  who  was  slowly  pac- 
ing the  floor.  This  was  Arthur's  father — the 
"  Uncle  Bob  "  after  whom  our  hero  had  been 
named. 

He  was  not  a  man  to  inspire  confidence  at 
the  first  glance,  and  the  longer  you  looked  at 
him,  the  less  you  would  like  him.  He  had  an 
insinuating — or  rather,  a  sneaking — air  that 
he  could  not  shake  off,  and  his  movements, 
as  he  trod  the  thread-bare  carpet  with  his 
well-worn  gaiters,  reminded  you  of  the 
stealthy  actions  of  a  fox. 

He  had  a  high  and  very  narrow  forehead, 
a  pair  of  piercing  gray  eyes,  which  looked  at 
you  from  under  shaggy  brows,  and  a  long, 
thin  nose — a  nose  that  seemed  formed  for 


212       THE  MYSTEEY  OF  LOST  EIVER  CANYON". 

thrusting  itself  into  other  people's  affairs, 
and  for  finding  out  secrets  that  its  owner  had 
no  business  to  know. 

Uncle  Bob,  as  we  shall  call  him  in  this 
story,  had  once  been  in  business  for  himself; 
but  he  was  a  gentleman  of  leisure  now. 

Following  the  example  of  more  respected 
men,  he  had  gone  as  heavily  in  debt  as  his 
limited  credit  would  allow,  and  failed  when 
the  proper  time  came.  But  it  is  a  dangerous 
thing  for  one  to  fail  in  business  with  his 
pockets  full,  unless  they  are  very  full,  and 
Uncle  Bob's  creditors  had  looked  so  closely 
into  his  way  of  doing  business,  that  he  barely 
escaped  being  taken  in  hand  by  the  law. 

It  was  from  this  man  that  Arthur  had  in- 
herited his  great  desire  for  wealth  and  his 
utter  abhorrence  of  any  kind  of  work. 

u  You  are  home  early  to-night,"  said  Uncle 
Bob,  pausing  in  his  walk. 

"Yes,"  was  the  indifferent  reply.  "And 
I  shall  probably  be  at  home  earlier  to-mor- 
row night.  I  have  got  my  walking-papers." 

"  Ah  !"  exclaimed  Uncle  Bob,  elevating  his 
shaggy  eyebrows.  "  What  for  ?" 


TWO  NEW  CHAEACTEES.  213 

"  Too  many  clerks." 

"  And  what  are  you  going  to  do  now  ?  You 
can't  live  without  work." 

"  I  know  that ;  but  I  shall  not  look  for 
another  place  until  the  seventy  dollars  I  have 
in  my  pocket  are  gone.  I  am  going  to  make 
believe  that  it  is  two  thousand,  and  live  like 
a  gentleman  for  awhile.  It  is  hard  to  be 
poor.  You  don't  respect  yourself  and  no  one 
respects  you.  What  is  it,  Jane  ?"  he  added, 
turning  to  the  servant  girl  who  just  then 
opened  the  door. 

"A  letter  for  Mr.  Howard,"  replied  the 
girl. 

"  A  letter  ?"  repeated  Uncle  Bob,  with  a 
shade  of  anxiety  in  his  tones.  "  Why,  it's  a 
telegram.  Who  in  the  world — " 

He  closed  the  door  behind  the  girl,  and 
stood  with  his  eyes  fastened  on  the  envelope 
as  if  he  hoped  to  find  something  there  that 
would  tell  him  where  the  dispatch  came  from 
and  what  it  contained. 

"  Hand  it  over  here  and  I  will  read  it  for 
you,"  said  Arthur,  after  he  had  waited  until 
his  patience  was  all  exhausted. 


214       THE  MYSTEEY  OF  LOST  EIVEE  CANYON. 

His  father  probably  did  not  hear  the  re- 
quest, or,  if  he  did,  he  paid  no  attention  to 
it.  He  seated  himself  in  the  nearest  chair 
and  tore  open  the  envelope  with  the  most 
exasperating  deliberation. 

Like  Micawber,  he  had  long  clung  firmly 
to  the  hope  that  something  would  "  turn  up" 
in  his  favor — that  the  fickle  goddess  who  had 
hitherto  frowned  upon  him  would  change  her 
frowns  to  smiles — and  he  little  imagined  how 
near  he  was  to  seeing  his  fond  dream  realized. 


HOW  THE  OTHEE  WAS  RECEIVED.  215 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

HOW    THE   OTHER    WAS    RECEIVED. 

•  •  "|3  Y  the  piper  that  played  before  Moses!" 
J3  exclaimed  the  telegraph  operator  at 
Bolton,  when  he  had  received  and  copied  a 
message  that  had  come  over  the  wires  all  the 
way  from  some  little  place  buried  in  the  wilds 
of  Arizona.  "  If  that  old  villain,  Bob  How- 
ard hasn't  struck  it  rich  this  time,  I  am  beat !" 

Here  the  operator  read  the  message  over 
again  to  make  sure  that  he  had  made  no  mis- 
take in  copying  it,  shaking  his  head  and 
sighing  deeply  all  the  while,  and  then  he  put 
it  into  an  envelope,  which  he  handed  over  to 
a  messenger  boy  who  happened  to  enter  the 
office  at  that  moment. 

u  Wonders  will  never  cease !"  he  added,  as 
he  walked  up  and  down  the  office,  with  his 
hands  buried  deep  in  his  pockets  ;  "  but  this 
is  a  little  ahead  of  anything  I  ever  heard  of, 


216       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  KIVEK  CANYON. 

and  it  doesn't  seem  possible.  'And  the  whole 
of  your  deceased  brother's  property,  roughly 
estimated  at — '  Whew!  I  wouldn't  give 
much  for  it  by  the  time  old  Bob  and  that 
scapegrace  son  of  his  get  through  handling  it. 
I  guess  that  man  out  in  Arizona  couldn't  have 
known  his  brother  as  well  as  we  in  Bolton 
know  him.  I  pity  that  nephew,  whoever  he 


is." 


The  messenger  boy  readily  found  his  way 
to  the  little  cottage  in  that  obscure  street,  of 
which  we  spoke  in  the  last  chapter,  and  there, 
as  we  have  seen,  he  found  the  man  for  whom 
it  was  intended. 

"  G.  H.  Evans,"  said  Uncle  Bob,  slowly 
reading  the  name  that  was  signed  to  the  dis- 
patch. "  Who  is  he  ?" 

"  Why,  it  is  from  Arizona !"  exclaimed 
Arthur,  who  was  looking  over  Uncle  Bob's 
shoulder.  "  Listen  to  this  :  '  Your  brother, 
Eben  Howard,  died  very  suddenly  this  morn- 
ing.' Humph  !"  he  ejaculated,  walking  back 
to  his  seat  with  an  air  of  disgust.  "  They 
probably  expect  you  to  send  money  to  bear 
his  funeral  expenses ;  but,  if  I  were  you,  I 


HOW  THE  OTHER  WAS  RECEIVED.  217 

would  see  them —  Why,  father,  what  is  the 
matter  ?" 

It  was  no  wonder  that  Arthur  asked  tins 
question,  and  asked  it,  too,  in  a  tone  of  anxiety, 
for  Uncle  Bob  suddenly  grew  as  pale  as  a 
ghost,  and  all  the  while  keeping  his  eyes 
fastened  upon  the  telegram  which  he  held  at 
arm's  length  before  him. 

The  astonished  Arthur  spoke  to  him  several 
times,  but  finding  that  no  attention  was  paid 
to  him,  he  jumped  up  and  snatched  the  tele- 
gram. Pushing  back  his  father,  who,  scarcely 
realizing  what  he  was  doing,  tried,  in  a  feeble 
way,  to  regain  possession  of  the  paper,  Arthur 
read  as  follows : 

"  Your  brother,  Eben  Howard,  died  very  suddenly 
this  morning.  By  the  terms  of  his  will,  which,  in 
accordance  with  his  dying  request,  was  opened  at 
once,  I  find  that  you  are  appointed  guardian  of  your 
nephew,  Robert  Howard,  and  that  the  whole  of 
your  deceased  brother's  property,  roughly  estimated 
at  four  millions  of  dollars  is  willed  to  you — " 

Arthur  gasped  for  breath  and  reeled  heavily 
against  the  wall,  but  he  quickly  recovered 
himself  and  read  on  a  few  words  further : 


218       THE  MYSTEEY  OF  LOST  EIVEB  CANYON. 

" — is  willed  to  you,  to  be  held  in  trust  until  the  said 
Robert  Howard  is  twenty-one  years  old,  when  it  is 
to  be  given  up  to  him — ' 

Something  that  sounded  very  much  like  an 
imprecation  escaped  from  Arthur's  lips  when 
he  came  to  this  part  of  the  message.  His 
hopes  were  crushed  to  the  ground  in  an  in- 
stant, but  he  managed  to  go  on  with  the 
reading: 

« — less  a  generous  sum,  which  you  are  at  liberty  to 
retain,  for  the  faithful  performance  of  your  duties  as 
guardian  and  trustee.  As  Mr.  Howard's  intimate 
friend  and  confidential  adviser,  I  shall  be  glad  to 
give  you  every  assistance  in  my  power.  Telegraph 
me  from  Leavenworth  when  to  meet  you  at  the 
station." 

When  Arthur  had  finished  the  telegram,  he 
threw  it  on  the  floor  and  stamped  upon  it,  in 
his  rage. 

"  What  fools  we  are !"  said  he,  in  a  voice 
that  was  rendered  almost  indistinct  by  intense 
passion.  "  Look  here,  old  man !  If  you 
haven't  taken  leave  of  your  senses,  sit  down 
and  tell  me  why  it  is  that  you  are  so  worked 


HOW  THE  OTHER  WAS  EECEIVED.  219 

up  over  this  dispatch.  Can't  you  see  that 
these  four  millions  will  never  do  us  any 
good  ?  They  are  not  yours  to  keep.  They 
are  only  willed  to  you  '  in  trust/  and  must 
be  given  up  to  Bob  as  soon  as  he  becomes  of 
age.  Who  ever  heard  of  such  miserable 
luck  ?" 

These  words  seemed  to  call  Uncle  Bob  back 
to  earth,  and  he  instantly  became  himself  again 
— cool,  level-headed  and  calculating.  "  This 
accident  and  flood  of  fortune  "  had  upset  him 
for  the  moment,  but  now  he  was  able  to  think 
about  it  and  to  gloat  over  it  without  the  dis- 
play of  any  emotion  whatever. 

"I  know  that  I  am  to  hold  the  property  in 
trust.  But  don't  you  see  that  I  am  to  be 
Bob's  guardian  ?  that  I  am  to  have  the  man- 
agement of  all  these  millions,  and  the  rev- 
enues that  may  accrue  from  them?"  said 
Uncle  Bob,  spreading  his  hands  over  the 
table,  as  if  he  were  in  reality,  as  he  was  in 
imagination,  fingering  his  nephew's  big  pile 
of  gold  and  silver. 

"  How  old  is  Bob  now  ?"  asked  Arthur. 

"  About  eighteen,  I  think." 


220       THE  MYSTEEY  OF  LOST  EIVER  CANYON. 

"Then  we  shall  be  rich  for  three  years ?" 

"  Yes,  and  a  great  deal  can  be  accom- 
plished in  that  time,"  said  his  father,  in  a 
meaning  tone.  "  Besides,  there  is  the  '  gen- 
erous sum '  which  I  shall  keep  to  pay  me  for 
my  services." 

"  What  would  you  call  a  generous  sum?" 

"  Well,  taking  into  consideration  the 
amount  of  property  involved,  and  the  har- 
assing responsibilities  that  will  probably  be 
thrown  upon  me,  I  should  say  half  a  million." 

"  Hurrah  for  us !"  shouted  Arthur,  "  That 
will  put  us  above  some  people  who  now  look 
down  on  us  because  we  can't  show  as  much 
style  as  they  do,  and  if  I  don't —  Say,  father, 
you  are  not  going  to  live  out  there  in  that 
wild  region,  are  you  ?" 

"  I  don't  see  how  I  can  help  it.  I  must 
look  after  Bob's  interests,  you  know." 

"  Can't  you  hire  an  agent,  and  let  him 
look  out  for  them  ?" 

"  I  suppose  I  could ;  but  I  don't  want  to," 
said  Uncle  Bob,  who  had  already  determined 
upon  the  course  he  intended  to  pursue.  "  I 
can  please  myself  better." 


HOW  THE  OTHER  WAS  EECEIVED.  221 

"  Must  I  live  out  there,  too  ?"  inquired 
Arthur. 

"  For  a  while,  yes.  Where  do  you  want  to 
go?" 

"  I  want  to  stay  right  here,  and  take  satis- 
faction out  of  some  of  these  people  who 
think  themselves  better  than  I  am." 

"It  is  getting  quite  fashionable  now  for 
young  men  of  means  to  go  to  college,' '  ob- 
served Uncle  Bob. 

"  How  much  does  it  cost  ?" 

"  That  depends  upon  the  depth  of  one's 
pocket.  In  your  case  I  should  say  that  fif- 
teen or  twenty  thousand  dollars  would  be  a 
sufficient  sum.  Of  course  you  would  want 
to  go  among  the  best  of  the  students,  and 
it  would  take  money,  and  plenty  of  it,  to 
enable  you  to  do  that." 

"  Well,  no  college  for  me,  if  you  please !" 
declined  Arthur.  "  I've  done  my  last  day's 
work  at  books  or  anything  else.  Give  me 
the  money,  and  I  will  spend  it  in  a  way  that 
will  bring  me  some  satisfaction.  I  will  have 
a  top-buggy  and  a  span  of  steppers  so  fine 
that  Coal  Oil  Tom's  will  bear  no  comparison 


222       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  RIVER  CANYON. 

to  them.  How  soon  can  we  get  ready  to 
start  ?" 

"  By  to-morrow  night,"  replied  Uncle  Bob, 
promptly.  "  All  I've  got  to  do  is  to  put  our 
little  property  here  into  the  hands  of  an  agent, 
with  orders  to  do  the  best  he  can  with  it,  and 
then  we  will  pack  our  trunks  and  be  off.  Of 
course  I  can't  stay  to  attend  to  the  sale  myself." 

"  Of  course  not,"  said  Arthur,  looking 
about  the  poorly-furnished  room  with  an  ex- 
pression of  contempt  in  his  face.  "  If  you 
can't  sell  the  place,  give  it  away.  You  don't 
need  it  any  longer,  and  it  isn't  worth  much 
anyway." 

If  Uncle  Bob  had  received  an  offer  for  his 
house  and  lot  an  hour  before,  he  would  have 
demanded  more,  and  held  out  for  the  last 
half-dollar  that  he  could  have  induced  the 
purchaser  to  pay.  But  he  felt  differently  now. 
He  was  as  highly  elated  as  Arthur  was  over 
his  unexpected  fortune,  although  he  did  not 
show  it  so  plainly,  and  the  money  his  prop- 
erty would  probably  bring  him,  if  it  were 
thrown  upon  the  market,  seemed  a  mere  baga- 
telle in  his  eyes. 


HOW  THE  OTHEE  WAS  EECEIVED.  223 

"  By-the-way,"  said  Arthur  suddenly,  "  if 
anything  should  happen  to  Bob,  who  would 
inherit  this  property  ?" 

"  Being  next  of  kin,  it  ought  to  come  to 
me,"  replied  his  father—"  provided  there  are 
no  legal  obstacles  in  the  way,"  he  added,  as 
Arthur  began  dancing  a  jig  in  the  middle 
of  the  floor.  "  My  brother  may  have  pro- 
vided for  that ;  but  if  he  did  not,  or  if  Bob, 
after  becoming  of  age  and  taking  possession 
of  the  property,  should  die  without  making 
a  will,  my  right  to  inherit  would  be  clear  and 
indisputable." 

"  I  declare,  it  almost  takes  my  breath  away 
to  think  of  it !"  said  Arthur,  whose  delight 
and  excitement  would  not  allow  him  to  keep 
still  for  a  moment.  "  I  don't  feel  as  I  did 
when  I  came  into  this  house  a  little  while 
ago,  I  tell  you.  I  guess  I'll  go  out  and  get 


a  cigar." 


"  Sapper  will  soon  be  ready,"  said  his 
father. 

"  I  don't  want  any  supper,  and  I  shouldn't 
think  you  would  either.  How  you  can  sit 
there  and  take  it  so  coolly,  passes  my  compre- 


224       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  EIVER  CANYON. 

hension.  If  I  did'nt  stir  about  I  should  go 
all  to  pieces." 

Arthur  went  into  his  room  long  enough  to 
draw  on  a  pair  of  kid  gloves,  which  never  saw 
the  light  except  upon  extra  occasions,  and  to 
put  under  his  arm  the  slender  little  cane  he 
was  accustomed  to  carry  on  his  Sunday  prom- 
enades, and  then  he  went  out  to  get  his  cigar. 

He  seemed  to  be  treading  on  air,  so  buoyant 
were  his  spirits.  He  carried  himself  very 
stiffly,  looking  neither  to  the  right  nor  left 
of  him  ;  and,  to  quote  from  an  acquaintance  he 
passed  on  the  street,  but  whom  he  did  not 
deign  to  notice,  one  would  have  thought  by 
the  frills  he  put  on  that  he  was  worth  at  le.ast 
a  dollar  and  a  half. 

Contrary  to  his  usual  custom,  Arthur  took 
his  way  down  Crosby  Street,  on  which  were 
located  nearly  all  the  fine  residences  the  town 
could  boast  of,  and  where  the  gay  croquet  and 
lawn-tennis  parties,  some  of  whose  members 
he  had  so  often  envied,  were  to  be  seen  every 
pleasant  afternoon.  These  parties  were  out  in 
full  force,  but  Arthur  never  looked  toward 
them  as  he  passed. 


HOW  THE  OTHEE  WAS  EECEIVED.  225 

"  What  do  I  care  for  such  people  as  they 
are?"  said  he  to  himself.  "My  father  will 
soon  be  handling  more  money  than  they  are 
all  worth,  and  the  allowance  I  know  he  will 
give  me  will  enable  me  to  outshine  any  fellow 
on  these  grounds.  I  wish  they  knew  of  the 
luck  that  has  befallen  me  since  I  passed  along 
this  way  an  hour  ago.  I  have  but  a  short 
time  to  stay  in  Bolton,  and  before  I  go,  I  want 
to  have  the  gratification  of  knowing  that 
somebody  envies  me.  Ah,  here  comes  Wig- 
gins! I  will  tell  him,  and  that  will  be  as 
good  as  though  I  posted  it  on  the  door  of  the 
town  hall." 

Wiggins  was  one  of  the  errand  boys  in  the 
store  in  which  Arthur  had  formerly  found 
employment.  He  had  by  this  time  learned 
that  the  clerk  had  been  discharged,  and  he 
had  lost  no  opportunity  to  spread  the  news. 

He  was  full  of  gossip,  and  if  there  was  any- 
thing going  on  in  the  town  he  was  pretty  sure 
to  know  it,  and  to  tell  it,  too. 


15 


226       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  EIVER  CANYON. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

BOB    HEARS   SOME   STARTLING   NEWS. 

•*  TTALLO,  Art!"  exclaimed  the  errand- 
JLL  boy,  as  soon  as  he  came  within  speak- 
ing distance.  "Got  the  sack,  didn't  you? 
You're  out  looking  for  another  job,  ain't 
you?" 

"Look  here,  young  man,"  said  Arthur, 
with  some  dignity  in  his  tones,  "  you  are  quite 
too  familiar,  if  you  did  but  know  it.  It  would 
be  becoming  in  you  to  show  some  respect  for 
your  betters." 

"  Hallo !  What's  come  over  you  all  at  once  ?" 
cried  Wiggins. 

"  It  is  true  that  I  have  left  the  store,"  con- 
tinued Arthur,  without  replying  to  this  ques- 
tion ;  "  but  I  am  not  looking  for  another 
situation.  I  don't  have  to." 

"  What  are  you  going  to  live  on — the  inter- 
est of  your  debts?" 


BOB  HEAES  SOME  STARTLING  NEWS.  227 

"  I  am  going  to  live  on  the  interest  of  my 
money,"  answered  Arthur,  loftily.  "  By  the 
death  of  a  relative  who  lived  out  West,  my 
father  and  I  have  come  into  possession  of  a 
very  nice  little  fortune." 

"  How  much  ?"  asked  Wiggins,  incredu- 
lously. 

"  About  four  millions." 

"  Aw  !     Get  out !" 

"  I  didn't  expect  you  to  believe  it,  but  those 
are  the  figures.  So  you  will  readily  see  that 
I  am  not  obliged  to  earn  my  living  by  stand- 
ing behind  the  counter.  I've  given  him 
something  to  talk  about,"  soliloquized  Arthur, 
as  he  walked  away  with  a  slow  and  dignified 
step,  "  and  in  half  an  hour  the  news  will  be 
all  over  town." 

Having  provided  himself  with  a  cigar, 
Arthur  took  a  long  walk  toward  the  outskirts 
of  the  town,  in  order  to  give  the  errand-boy 
time  to  "  get  in  his  work,"  as  he  expressed  it. 

And  he  was  not  a  little  flattered  by  the 
attention  he  received  when  he  came  back. 

Wiggins  must  have  labored  industriously, 
for  everybody  seemed  to  have  heard  the  news. 


228       THE  MYSTEKY  OF  LOST  EIVER  CANYON. 

People  who  had  seldom  taken  the  trouble  to 
speak  to  him  when  he  was  nothing  but  a  dry- 
goods  clerk,  stopped  to  congratulate  him  on 
his  good  fortune  ;  and  among  those  who  were 
the  most  cordial  in  their  greeting  was  the 
tailor  to  whom  he  was  indebted  for  the  clothes 
he  had  on  his  back ;  the  cigar-vender  who  had 
been  confiding  enough  to  furnish  him  with  his 
Havanas ;  and  the  jeweller,  who  had  not  yet 
been  paid  for  the  seal-ring  that  adorned  the 
third  finger  of  his  left  hand. 

"  I  tell  you,  money  makes  a  big  difference 
in  the  position  one  occupies  in  the  world  and 
in  the  estimation  of  those  around  him,"  said 
Arthur,  as  he  bent  his  steps  towards  his  cheer- 
less home,  after  spending  an  hour  in  airing 
himself  on  the  principal  streets.  "  But  didn't 
I  snub  some  of  those  fellows  in  fine  style?  I 
wish  I  could  stay  here,  so  that  I  could  snub 
them  every  day." 

Time  seemed  to  move  on  leaden  wings,  but 
the  night  and  the  ensuing  day  wore  away  at 
last,  and,  long  before  the  hour  for  starting 
arrived,  Arthur  had  packed  his  valise  and  was 
ready  for  the  train. 


BOB  HEARS  SOME  STARTLING  NEWS.  229 

From  some  hidden  source,  Uncle  Bob  had 
produced  money  enough  to  purchase  tickets, 
and  furnish  himself  and  his  hopeful  son  with 
brand  new  travelling  outfits  and  a  few  articles 
of  comfort  and  utility,  and,  when  they  took 
their  seats  in  the  drawing-room  car,  they  were 
quite  prepared  to  create  a  sensation  among 
the  passengers  they  found  there.  But  to  Ar- 
thur's disappointment,  the  passengers  at  whom 
he  gazed  through  his  gold  eye-glasses — he 
needed  eye-glasses  about  as  much  as  he  needed 
another  ring — were  not  at  all  impressed  by 
his  fine  clothes  and  the  graceful  attitudes  he 
assumed. 

They  had  papers  and  books  to  read,  and 
matters  of  their  own  to  think  about,  and  some 
of  them  never  once  looked  at  him. 

The  only  one  in  the  car  who  paid  any  par- 
ticular attention  to  him  was  a  handsome,  dark- 
haired  youth,  who  all  that  day  had  ridden 
with  his  arms  folded  and  his  chin  resting 
on  his  breast.  He  looked  up  when  Arthur 
and  his  father  entered,  gave  a  start  of  sur- 
prise, and  said,  in  a  whisper,  to  his  travelling 
companion : 


230       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  RIVER  CANYON. 

"  That's  my  Uncle  Bob — if  I  ever  saw 
him." 

"  And  a  very  fine-looking  old  fellow  he  is, 
too,"  said  the  other,  who  would  hardly  have 
recognized  in  this  pompous  gentleman — who 
gazed  about  him  as  if  he  were  monarch  of  all 
he  surveyed — the  Uncle  Bob  whom  we  intro- 
duced a  short  time  ago.  That  fine  feathers 
make  fine  birds  was  fully  exemplified  in  his 
case.  "  Who  is  that  young  chap  with  him — 
your  cousin  Arthur  ?'' 

"  I  think  so,"  replied  Bob  Howard — for  it 
was  he — "  but  I'm  not  sure.  A  good  many 
years  have  passed  since  I  last  saw  them,  and 
Arthur  has  had  plenty  of  time  to  grow  out 
of  my  recollection,  but  Uncle  Bob  hasn't 
changed  at  all." 

"  What  are  they  doing  on  this  train,  I  won- 
der?" asked  George  Edwards. 

"  I'm  sure  I  don't  know.  Say,  George,  I 
didn't  write  to  Uncle  Bob  about  my  father's 
death,  as  I  meant  to  do,  and  perhaps  I'd  bet- 
ter speak  to  him  about  it  now,  while  I  have 
the  chance.  Then  I  shall  be  done  with  him 
forever." 


BOB  HEAES  SOME  STAETLING  NEWS.  231 

"  Well,  if  it  is  an  unpleasant  piece  of  busi- 
ness, go  about  it  at  once,  and  have  it  off  your 
mind,"  suggested  George. 

"  It  is  unpleasant,  for  I  don't  want  to  speak 
to  the  man  who  went  deliberately  to  work  to 
ruin  my  father,"  said  Bob,  with  no  little  bit- 
terness in  his  tones.  "  But  I  will  do  as  you 
say.  I  suppose  I  shall  have  to  address  him 
as  '  Uncle  Bob/  but  I  assure  you  I  never 
would  do  it  if  my  father  had  not  always  spo- 
ken of  him  in  that  way  in  his  letters." 

So  saying,  Bob  arose  and  walked  over  to 
the  seats  that  were  occupied  by  his  relatives. 
They  looked  up  in  surprise  when  the  boy 
stopped  before  them,  Arthur  assuming  a 
haughty  stare,  while  his  father  seemed  try- 
ing to  remember  where  he  had  seen  Bob  be- 
fore. 

"  Pardon  me,"  said  the  latter.  "  Do  I  ad- 
dress Mr.  Robert  Howard,  of  Bolton,  Indi- 
ana?" 

"Bless  my  soul!"  cried  Uncle  Bob,  jump- 
ing to  his  feet  and  shaking  his  nephew's 
hand  with  both  his  own.  "  I  thought  I  knew 
you — and  you  are  my  brother's  son,  who  was 


232       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  RIVER  CANYON. 

named  after  me,  are  you  not?  Arthur,  this 
is  the  cousin,  of  whom  you  have  so  often 
heard  me  speak.  Shake  hands  and  be  friends." 

The  two  boys  did  not  greet  each  other  with 
the  cordiality  that  might  have  been  expected 
of  relatives  who  had  long  been  separated. 
Each  knew  instinctively  that  the  other  was 
an  enemy  to  him.  Uncle  Bob  saw  this  very 
plainly,  and  he  knew  that  much  depended  on 
securing  his  nephew's  good-will ;  but  he  went 
about  it  in  the  very  best  way  calculated  to 
excite  his  contempt. 

"  Sit  down,  Bob,"  said  he,  taking  the  boy 
by  the  shoulders  and  trying  to  push  him  into 
the  chair  he  had  just  vacated ;  "  sit  down,  and 
let  us  have  a  family  talk.  Do  you  know  that 
it  is  a  long  time  since  Arthur  and  I  have 
seen  you  ?  How  you  have  grown,  and  how 
well  you  are  looking  !  You  are  getting  to  be 
quite  a  spruce  young  gentleman," 

"  Thank  you ;  I'll  not  sit  down,"  said  Bob, 
coldly.  "  I  have  a  seat  of  my  own  in  this 
car.  I  simply  came  here  to  tell  you  that  my 
father  was  dead." 

Uncle   Bob  drew  on  a  long  face  at  once, 


BOB  HEAES  SOME  STARTLING  NEWS.  233 

and  Arthur  tried  to  do  the  same,  but  made  a 
failure  of  it." 

"  Sad — very  sad  !"  said  the  former.  "  I 
was  greatly  shocked  to  hear  it.  Very  sud- 
den, was  it  not?" 

"  Have  you  heard  of  it  ?"  asked  Bob  in 
surprise. 

"  Certainly  I  have ;  and  I  am  now  on  my 
way  to  Arizona  to  settle  up  his  affairs.  I 
know  it  is  very  hard,  my  dear  boy ;  but  try 
to  bear  up,  and  not  look  so  depressed." 

Bob  didn't  look  depressed — he  looked  as- 
tonished and  bewildered. 

What  business  had  this  man,  who  had 
tried  to  swindle  his  father  and  cast  dishonor 
upon  his  name,  to  have  anything  to  do  with 
money  and  property  that  would  one  day  be- 
long to  himself? 

"  There — there  surely  must  be  some  mis- 
take," he  stammered. 

"There's  no  mistake  whatever,"  said  Arthur, 
glibly.  "  We've  got  it  in  black  and  white." 

His  father  silenced  him  with  a  frown,  and 
continued,  as  he  thrust  his  hand  into  his 
breast-pocket  and  drew  out  a  note- book : 


234        THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  KIVEK  CANYON. 

"  I  don't  wonder  that  you  are  a  little  sur- 
prised. I  was  surprised  myself;  but  what 
Arthur  says  is  quite  true.  My  brother  hav- 
ing every  confidence  in  my  fidelity  "  (Uncle 
Bob  put  a  good  deal  of  unnecessary  emphasis 
into  these  words),  "appointed  me  to  act  as 
your  guardian,  and  to  hold  your  property 
in  trust  for  you,  until  you  are  able  to  take 
care  of  it  yourself.  The  responsibility  is 
great,  but  I  have  cheerfully  accepted  it.  I 
assure  you — although  it  is  hardly  necessary 
— that  I  shall  do  all  I  can  to  make  our  inter- 
course as  guardian  and  ward  pleasant  and 
agreeable,  and  I  know  you  will  do  the  same. 
Here's  the  paper  I  want.  Read  that,  arid 
you  will  know  as  much  about  the  matter  as  I 
know  myself." 

Bob  was  thunderstruck.  His  mind  was  in 
such  confusion  that  he  did  not  understand 
half  a  dozen  words  of  this  long  and  carefully- 
prepared  speech.  All  he  heard  was  that  his 
uncle  was  his  guardian,  and  that  fairly  stunned 
him.  Was  his  father  crazy,  when  he  made 
his  will  ?  He  must  have  been,  or  he  never 
would  have  done  this. 


BOB  HEAKS  SOME  STARTLING  NEWS.  235 

He  took  the  telegraph  dispatch  that  Uncle 
Bob  handed  him,  and,  having  made  himself 
master  of  its  contents,  he  passed  it  back 
without  saying  a  word  and  returned  to  his 
own  seat. 

Uncle  Bob  looked  after  him  with  an  ex- 
pression on  his  face  that  cannot  be  described, 
and  then  buttoning  his  ulster  with  great  de- 
liberation, he  settled  back  in  his  luxurious 
chair  with  an  air  which  seemed  to  say : 

"  Help  yourself,  if  you  can,  young  man." 

He  drew  a  long  breath  as  if  he  felt  re- 
lieved, and  yet  his  face  wore  a  look  of  anxiety. 
He  saw  that  his  ward  was  a  boy  of  spirit- — 
any  one  who  looked  into  Bob  Howard's  eyes 
could  see  that — and  told  himself  that  he  was 
bound  to  have  trouble  with  him  sooner  or 
later. 

Arthur  must  have  been  of  the  same  opin- 
ion ;  for,  after  waiting  a  long  time  for  his 
father  to  speak,  he  broke  in  upon  his  reverie 
by  saying : 

"  That  boy  is  altogether  too  independent  to 
suit  me.  I  shall  have  to  bring  him  down  a 
peg  or  two." 


236       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  KIVEE  CANYON". 

"  You  had  better  mind  your  own  business 
and  let  him  alone/'  said  Uncle  Bob,  roughly, 
"My  position  will  be  hard  enough  at  the 
best,  and  if  you  expect  me  to  be  liberal  with 
you,  you  must  be  careful  to  do  nothing  to  in- 
crease the  weight  of  the  burden  I  shall  have 
to  bear." 

Arthur  opened  his  eyes  when  he  heard 
this,  and  relapsed  into  silence.  He  had  made 
up  his  mind  that  he  was  going  to  do  pretty 
near  what  he  pleased  with  his  cousin  and 
everything  that  belonged  to  him  ;  but  now 
he  saw  that  he  would  have  to  defer  to  his 
father  in  some  things,  or  run  the  risk  of 
having  his  allowance  of  spending  money  cur- 
tailed. 

There  had  been  no  conversation  between 
them  regarding  the  amount  of  that  allowance, 
but  Arthur  took  it  for  granted  that  it  was  to 
be  a  liberal  one. 

The  face  that  Bob  Howard  brought  back 
to  his  companion  surprised  and  alarmed  the 
latter,  who  knew,  as  soon  as  he  looked  at  it, 
that  something  unpleasant  had  happened. 

He  was  not  kept  long    in    ignorance,  for 


BOB  HEARS  SOME  STARTLING  NEWS.  287 

Bob,  feeling  the  need  of  sympathy,  made  all 
haste  to  unburden  his  mind. 

George  listened  in  astonishment  while  his 
friend  told  what  had  passed  between  him 
and  Uncle  Bob ;  but  when  his  story  was  fin- 
ished there  was  nothing  he  could  say  to  com- 
fort him. 

"  It  seems  that  the  same  name  is  signed  to 
both  the  dispatches,"  he  ventured  to  remark, 
when  he  saw  that  Bob  was  waiting  for  him 
to  speak.  "  Do  you  know  the  man  ?" 

Yes,  Bob  knew  him  well.  He  was  their 
nearest  neighbor,  and  the  first  friend  they 
made  when  they  settled  in  Arizona. 

"  Then  he  is  the  one  you  want  to  talk  to," 
said  George.  "No  doubt  he  will  be  able  to 
explain  everything  to  your  entire  satisfac- 
tion." 

"No,  he  can't,"  said  Bob,  bitterly.  "  He 
can't  make  me  understand  why  my  father 
gave  his  property  into  this  man's  keeping, 
and  made  him  my  guardian.  That's  a  mys- 
tery that  I  shall  never  be  able  to  see  into." 

"  Well,  this  Mr.  Evans  can  tell  you  more 
about  it  than  anybody  else,  can't  he?"  said 


238       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  KIVEK  CANYON. 

George,  encouragingly.  "You  can't  gain 
any  more  insight  into  the  matter  until  you 
see  him,  can  you  ?  Then  all  you've  got  to  do 
is  to  wait  patiently  until  we  reach  the  end  of 
our  journey,  when  everything  will  be  made 
clear  to  you." 

It  was  very  easy  for  George  to  give  this  ad- 
vice ;  but  it  was  by  no  means  so  easy  for  Bob 
to  follow  it.  Besides,  the  latter  did  not  be- 
lieve that  it  lay  in  Mr.  Evans'  power  to  make 
everything  clear  to  him. 


A  MERITED  EEBUKE.  239 


CHAPTEE  XX. 

A     MERITED     REBUKE. 

UNCLE  BOB  would  have  been    glad    to 
put  himself  and  Arthur  on  a  friendly 
footing  with  his  nephew,  but  the  latter  would 
not  give  him  the  opportunity. 

As  soon  as  the  train  stopped,  he  and 
George  went  into  another  car,  and  stayed 
there.  When  they  reached  Leavenworth, 
Bob  telegraphed  Mr.  Evans,  as  the  latter  had 
instructed  him  to  do,  winding  up  the  mes- 
sage with  the  following  words  : 

"  Bring  two  saddle-horses  besides  your  own,  and 
see  that  there  is  just  room  enough  in  the  wagon  for 
two  persons." 

"  I  want  nothing  to  do  with  the  old  hypo- 
crite," said  Bob,  as  he  and  George  went  back 
to  the  train,  "  and  by  sending  for  two  saddle 
horses  I  have  made  it  possible  for  you  and 
me  to  have  a  little  private  conversation  with 


240       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  RIVER  CANYON. 

Mr.  Evans.  Uncle  Bob  and  Arthur  will  have 
to  occupy  a  seat  in  the  wagon." 

When  they  reached  Dixon  Spring,  which 
was  as  far  as  the  track  was  laid  at  the  time 
of  which  we  write,  their  journey  by  rail  was 
ended. 

Now  came  a  ride  of  a  hundred  and  sixty 
miles,  part  of  the  way  lying  through  the  south- 
western portion  of  New  Mexico  and  the  rest 
through  Arizona. 

Mr.  Evans  was  on  hand  when  the  train 
stopped  at  Dixon  Spring,  and  when  Bob  had 
greeted  him  cordially,  he  presented  his  friend, 
George  Edwards.  He  paid  no  attention  to 
Uncle  Bob,  but  that  gentleman  was  not  to  be 
put  off  in  any  such  way. 

He  kept  a  sharp  eye  upon  his  nephew,  and 
seeing  him  in  the  act  of  shaking  hands  with 
a  roughly  dressed  man,  who  wore  a  brace  of 
revolvers  about  his  waist,  he  walked  up  and 
broke  in  upon  the  conversation  without  offer- 
ing an  apology  for  so  doing,  thereby  commit- 
ting a  breach  of  etiquette,  which,  under  dif- 
ferent circumstances,  would  have  been  pretty 
certain  to  bring  him  into  trouble. 


A  MERITED  EEBUKE.  241 

"  Have  I  the  honor  to  speak  to  Mr.  Evans  ?" 
inquired  Uncle  Bob,  holding  out  his  hand. 

"  You  have,"  replied  the  owner  of  that 
name,  running  his  eye  over  Uncle  Bob's  fig- 
ure, and  then  over  Arthur's,  taking  in  at  a 
glance,  their  fine  clothes,  gloves,  canes,  patent- 
leather  shoes,  and  all  their  ornaments,  but 
making  no  move  toward  accepting  the  prof- 
fered hand. 

Like  all  men  of  his  calling,  he  heartily  de- 
spised finery  of  every  sort,  and  he  was  sus- 
picious of  it,  too.  There  was  only  one  class 
of  persons  in  that  country  who  dressed  in  that 
way,  and  they  were  rascals  without  a  single 
exception. 

"  I  supposed  that  my  nephew  would  intro- 
duce me,"  said  Uncle  Bob,  throwing  off  a 
hint  of  his  haughtiness  and  pomposity,  and 
speaking  in  his  ordinary  tone  of  voice ;  "  but 
as  he  seems  to  have  forgotten  me,  I  must  do 
it  myself.  I  am  Robert  Howard,  at  your  ser- 
vice, the  brother  of  the  late  Eben  Howard, 
who,  I  believe,  was — " 

"Oh,  why  didn't  you  say  so?"  interrupted 
Mr.  Evans.  "  I  received  your  telegram^  and 

16 


242       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  EIVER  CANYON. 

was  looking  for  you  when  I  found  Bob ;  but 
I  didn't  suppose  that  you  were  Mr.  How- 
ard." 

He  looked  inquiringly  at  the  boy  as  he  said 
this,  and  then  he  reluctantly  took  the  out- 
stretched hand ;  but  he  did  not  shake  it  as 
though  he  was  glad  to  see  Uncle  Bob.  And 
indeed  he  wasn't.  He  knew  more  of  the 
man's  history  than  the  latter  thought  he  did. 

"  Now,  then/'  said  Mr.  Evans,  who  had  no 
desire  to  prolong  the  interview,  having  al- 
ready seen  as  much  of  Uncle  Bob  and  Ar- 
thur as  he  cared  to  see,  "  I  will  bring  up 
the  wagon,  and  while  I  am  gone,  you  can 
present  your  checks  and  get  your  trunks. 
We  have  about  twenty-five  miles  to  go  to 
reach  our  camping-ground,  and,  if  we  want 
to  get  there  before  dark,  we  have  no  time  to 
waste." 

"  Camping-ground  !"  repeated  Arthur.  "Do 
you  mean  that  we  must  sleep  out  of  doors  ?" 

"  Oh,  no!  Knowing  that  you  were  tender- 
feet,  I  took  the  liberty  to  stop  at  Bob's  house 
and  get  his  tent." 

"  Why,  I  was  under  the  impression  that  a 


A  MEEITED  KEBUKE.  243 

stage-line  ran  within  a  short  distance  of  my 
brother's  ranch,  and  that  there  were  hotels 
along  the  way,  at  which  we  could  put  up  at 
night,"  said  Uncle  Bob. 

"  Hotels  in  this  country !"  exclaimed  Mr. 
Evans.  "  There  are  stations  along  the  route, 
if  they  are  what  you  mean ;  and  if  you  want 
to  eat  soggy  potatoes,  green  biscuit,  and  oleo- 
margarine butter,  and  be  eaten  up  with  fleas 
when  you  go  to  bed,  you  can  do  it  and  wel- 
come; but  I  won't.  Well-cooked  camp-fare 
and  a  bed  of  clean  prairie-grass  are  good 
enough  for  me." 

Mr.  Evans  hurried  away,  and  when  he  re- 
turned a  few  minutes  later,  he  was  driving  a 
span  of  mules,  which  were  hitched  to  a  light 
spring  wagon  with  a  canopy  top. 

There  was  one  seat  in  the  wagon,  placed 
in  the  extreme  forward  end,  so  that  the 
driver's  feet  hung  out  over  the  pole ;  and  the 
body  of  the  vehicle  was  filled  with  camp- 
equipage. 

Still,  there  was  room  enough  in  it  for  Bob's 
trunk  and  George's,  as  well  as  for  the  valises 
which  the  others  had  brought  with  them. 


244       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  RIVEB  CANYON. 

"  All  ready !"  said  Mr.  Evans,  when  all 
these  articles  had  been  safely  stowed  away. 
"Jump  in,  Mr.  Howard,  and  keep  the  trail, 
which  is  as  plain  as  the  nose  on  your  face. 
The  boys  and  I  will  follow  on  horseback." 

Arthur  was  not  at  all  satisfied  with  this 
arrangement,  and  neither  was  his  father.  The 
former  was  wondering  what  his  aristocratic 
acquaintances  in  Bolton  would  say  if  they 
could  see  him  dressed  in  his  fine  clothes 
and  perched  behind  a  span  of  lazy  mules ; 
while  Uncle  Bob  told  himself  that  he  was 
losing  something  by  leaving  his  nephew  and 
Mr.  Evans  together.  He  wanted  an  oppor- 
tunity to  tell  his  story  before  Bob  could  say 
anything  to  prejudice  the  man  against  him. 

"  So  that's  tho  man  who  is  to  act  as  your 
guardian,  is  it?"  said  Mr.  Evans,  as  the 
wagon  moved  off.  "  He  is  the  chap  who 
borrowed  money  of  your  father  to  start  him 
in  business,  and  then  failed  and  cheated  him 
out  of  the  most  of  it?'' 

"  Yes ;  and  when  father  came  out  here,  in 
the  hope  of  recovering  the  health  he  had  lost 
by  overwork,  Uncle  Bob  industriously  cir- 


A  MERITED  REBUKE.  245 

culated  the  report  that  he  had  run  away  from 
his  creditors,"  added  Bob,  in  a  voice  that 
was  husky  with  indignation.  "  Father  couldn't 
have  forgotten  all  this,  and  yet  he  made  this 
man  my  guardian,  and  gave  him  control  of 
the  property." 

"  No,  he  didn't  forget  it,  but  he  forgave  it," 
said  Mr.  Evans.  "  I  know  that  the  fierce 
quarrel  he  had  with  his  brother  was  the  cause 
of  much  sorrow  to  him ;  and  as  soon  as  he 
had  paid  all  your  Uncle  Bob's  debts,  he  went 
to  work  to  heal  the  breach — " 

"And  Uncle  Bob  helped  him ;  and  this  is 
the  result,"  broke  in  the  boy. 

"  That  seems  to  be  about  the  way  the  thing 
stands.  I  know  what  sort  of  a  will  he  made, 
and  I  know,  too,  that  it  was  his  intention  to 
speak  to  you  about  it  when  you  came  home 
this  fall,  and  to  change  it,  if  you  raised  the 
least  objection  to  it." 

"  I  shouldn't  have  done  it,"  said  Bob,  with 
tears  in  his  eyes.  "As  it  was  his  wish  that 
my  uncle  should  act  in  his  stead,  I  shall  sub- 
mit, and  be  as  dutiful  and  respectful  as  I  can  ; 
but,  unless  he  changes  very  much,  I  shall  be 


246       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  EIVER  CANYON. 

heartily  glad  to  see  the  last  of  him.  Now, 
let  us  drop  the  matter.  I  don't  want  to  talk 
about  it  any  more." 

Neither  did  Mr.  Evans.  Regrets  could  not 
change  the  situation. 

He  was  sorry  for  Bob,  and  he  made  the 
mental  resolution  that  he  would  keep  an  eye 
on  this  guardian  of  his,  and  at  the  very  first 
sign  of  tyranny  or  unfaithfulness,  he  would 
raise  a  storm  about  his  ears  that  would  drive 
him  from  the  country. 

The  journey  from  Dixon  Spring  to  Bob 
Howard's  home  consumed  the  best  part  of 
five  days,  and  during  that  time  Arthur  and 
George  had  opportunity  to  learn  what  West- 
ern life,  of  which  they  had  often  read  the 
most  glowing  accounts,  really  was. 

George  was  delighted  with  it,  but  Arthur 
did  not  like  it  at  all,  and  told  himself  over 
and  over  again  that  he  would  make  his  way 
back  to  Bolton  just  as  soon  as  he  could  induce 
his  father  to  give  him  money  enough  to  take 
him  there. 

There  was  no  fun  in  sleeping  on  the  hard 
ground  every  night.  The  tent  which  he 


A  MERITED  KEBUKE.  247 

thought  ought  to  be  devoted  to  the  exclusive 
use  of  himself  and  his  father,  was  crowded 
every  night,  all  the  strangers  they  encountered 
on  the  way  (roughly-dressed,  loud-talking 
fellows  they  were,  whose  words  and  actions 
seemed  to  indicate  that  they  were  spoiling 
for  a  fight)  being  given  a  hearty  welcome  and 
urged  to  make  themselves  perfectly  at  home ; 
and  he  had  so  much  to  say  about  the  food 
that  was  served  up  to  him,  that  he  finally  ex- 
hausted all  the  patience  of  Mr.  Evans,  who 
one  day  took  him  to  task  in  the  following 
style : 

"  Young  man,"  said  he,  shaking  a  piece  of 
hardtack  at  Arthur,  "  I  have  traveled  a  good 
deal,  spent  some  years  in  the  army,  associated 
with  all  sorts  and  kinds  of  people,  and  I  have 
always  noticed  one  thing — that  those  who 
never  have  anything  worth  eating  at  home 
are  the  very  ones  who  growl  the  loudest  at 
what  is  set  before  them  when  they  are  away 
from  home." 

Arthur  would  have  been  glad  to  make  an 
angry  reply  to  this  merited  rebuke,  but  some- 
thing in  the  clear  brown  eye  that  was  fastened 


248       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  EIVEE  CANYON. 

upon  his  own  told  him  that  it  would  not  be 
quite  safe  to  do  so. 

Both  he  and  his  father  took  the  hint,  and 
from  that  time  forward  conducted  themselves 
like  reasonable  beings. 

The  result  was  just  what  might  have  been 
expected.  Mr.  Evans  became  more  sociable 
and  communicative,  and  instead  of  following 
behind  the  wagon,  as  he  had  formerly  done, 
he  rode  beside  it,  patiently  answering  all  Uncle 
Bob's  questions  and  trying  his  best  to  en- 
lighten him  on  every  subject  on  which  he 
sought  information. 

The  latter  was  astonished  at  his  knowl- 
edge, and  could  hardly  believe  his  nephew 
when  the  latter  told  him  that  those  rough 
clothes  covered  a  Yale  College  graduate. 

While  Mr.  Evans  was  devoting  himself  to 
the  senior  member  of  the  party,  Arthur  was 
not  neglected.  As  soon  as  he  threw  off  his 
assumed  dignity — which  did  not  set  well  on 
him,  anyway — George  and  Bob  met  him 
half-way,  and  the  latter,  having  come  to  the 
sensible  conclusion  that  it  was  useless  to 
fight  against  the  inevitable,  went  to  work 


A  MERITED  EEBUKE.  249 

to  place  himself  on  friendly  terras  with  his 
cousin. 

He  gave  him  his  horse  when  he  saw  that 
he  was  tired  of  riding  in  the  wragon,  took 
pains  to  direct  his  attention  to  all  the  interest- 
ing objects  along  the  trail,  and  showed  him 
his  new  home  while  they  were  yet  ten  hours' 
journey  distant  from  it. 

"  What  a  grand  view  this  is !"  exclaimed 
Arthur,  as  he  drew  rein  on  the  brink  of  a 
frightful  precipice  and  gazed  down  into  the 
valley  below  him. 

He  was  riding  Mr.  Evans'  horse,  that  gen- 
tleman having  taken  his  seat  in  the  wagon. 
Bob  did  not  object  to  this  arrangement  now. 
He  knew  that  Mr.  Evans  was  his  friend,  and 
it  mattered  little  what  his  uncle  said  to  him. 

"  Yes,  it's  a  splendid  sight,"  said  Bob,  who 
was  thinking  of  the  lonely  grave  there  was 
somewhere  in  that  valley,  and  not  of  the 
beauty  of  the  scenery.  "People  who  have 
traveled  among  the  Alps  say 'that  Switzerland 
has  nothing  that  can  beat  it.  Every  foot  of 
that  valley  belonged  to  my  father." 

"And  if  anything  should  happen  to  you 


250       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  BIVEK  CANYON. 

during  the  next  three  years  it  is  quite  possi- 
ble that  every  foot  of  it  will  belong  to  me," 
said  Arthur  to  himself. 

This  thought  had  been  uppermost  in  his 
mind  ever  since  the  day  that  telegram  was 
received.  He  had  pondered  upon  it  day  and 
night,  and  he  continued  to  ponder  upon  it 
until  it  led  to  something — something  that 
created  the  greatest  excitement,  and  came 
pretty  near  ending  in  a  fearful  tragedy. 


THE  MYSTEBY  OF  THE  CANYON.  251 


CHAPTER  XXL 

THE    MYSTERY    OF    THE    CANYON. 


valley  toward  which  the  three  boys 
JL  directed  their  gaze  was  quite  ten  miles 
long  and  a  little  more  than  half  as  wide.  It 
was  almost  oval  in  shape,  and  was  surrounded 
on  all  sides  by  rocky  bluffs,  which,  in  some 
places,  arose  to  the  height  of  nearly  two 
thousand  feet. 

The  base  of  these  bluffs  was  lined  with  an 
almost  unbroken  forest  of  cottonwood  trees, 
which  in  addition  to  supplying  the  numer- 
ous inhabitants  of  the  valley  with  fuel,  gave 
secure  protection  to  the  ranchman's  sheep, 
that  sought  shelter  there  when  the  cold  winter 
winds  swept  down  the  gorges  and  blocked  all 
the  trails  with  snow. 

The  valley  was  watered  by  a  deep  stream, 
which,  entering  at  one  end  by  a  succession 
of  lofty  cascades,  and  running  through  the 


252       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  EIVEE  CANYON. 

verdant  fields  with  an  almost  imperceptible 
current,  finally  disappeared  in  a  cavern  so 
dark  and  gloomy  that  it  made  one  shudder  to 
look  at  it. 

Near  the  middle  of  the  valley  this  stream 
widened  into  a  lake  of  considerable  size.  It 
was  on  the  bosom  of  this  lake  that  Bob  How- 
ard had  cast  his  first  fly  to  tempt  the  wary 
trout  from  his  hiding-place ;  and  among  the 
weeds  and  rushes  that  lined  the  further 
shore  he  had  killed  his  first  wild  duck. 

By  the  aid  of  a  powerful  field-glass  which 
Bob  had  brought  with  him,  Arthur  and 
George  were  enabled  to  make  a  close  exami- 
nation of  all  the  objects  he  pointed  out  to 
them.  Something  which,  at  the  first  glance, 
looked  like  a  cobble-stone,  turned  out  to  be  a 
roomy  rancho ;  a  little  patch  of  white  in  the 
middle  of  one  of  the  fields  the  glass  showed 
to  be  an  immense  flock  of  sheep ;  small 
clumps  of  bushes  became  extensive  groves 
of  scrub  oaks ;  things  that  looked  no  larger 
than  a  sprig  of  clover  changed  into  horse- 
men ;  and  the  dark  lines  that  ran  across  the 
valley  in  every  direction  took  the  form  of 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  CANYON.  253 

rail  fences,  staked  and  ridered,  and  strongly 
built  to  withstand  the  violence  of  the  winter 
winds. 

The  atmosphere  was  so  pure  that  the 
smallest  object  could  be  seen  and  described. 
George  and  Arthur  could  hardly  believe  that 
ten  hours  would  elapse,  and  that  they  would 
be  obliged  to  spend  another  night  in  camp, 
before  they  could  take  a  nearer  view  of  the 
valley. 

"How  are  we  going  to  get  down  there?" 
asked  the  former.  "  I  hope  you  don't  intend 
to  lower  us  over  these  cliffs  with  a  rope  ?" 

"  Oh,  no  !  There's  a  road  that  leads  to  the 
bottom,  but  it  is  a  long  and  winding  one. 
The  building  of  it  was  equal  to  all  the  labors 
of  Hercules,  and  I  have  been  told  that  he  had 
some  pretty  difficult  tasks  to  perform." 

Arthur,  who  had  never  heard  of  Hercules 
before,  would  have  been  glad  to  know  who 
he  was  and  what  he  had  to  do,  but  he  was 
ashamed  to  ask  for  information. 

His  companions,  who  seemed  to  know  a 
little  of  everything,  had  more  than  once  put 
him  to  the  blush,  and,  rather  than  let  them 


254       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  EIVER  CANYON. 

see  how  ignorant  he  was,  he  maintained  a  dis- 
creet silence. 

"My  father  laid  it  off,"  continued  Bob, 
with  some  pride  in  his  tones,  "  and  not  one 
of  all  the  college  professors  who  have  been 
here  has  been  able  to  make  any  improvement 
in  it.  Hark  I"  he  added,  a  moment  later, 
raising  his  forefinger  in  the  air  and  turning 
his  head  to  one  side.  "  Now  you  are  going  to 
hear  it." 

There  was  something  in  Bob's  tone  and 
manner  that  affected  his  companions  rather 
unpleasantly,  awed  as  they  were  by  the 
grandeur  and  sublimity  of  their  surround- 
ings. 

They  listened  intently,  and  all  they  could 
hear  was  the  sighing  of  the  mountain  breeze 
through  the  branches  of  the  evergreens  that 
lined  the  trail  on  both  sides ;  but  presently 
there  came  floating  on  that  same  breeze  a 
sound  that  cannot  be  described — a  sound 
that  seemed  to  chill  the  blood  of  the  two 
boys,  who  now  listened  to  it  for  the  first  time. 

It  was  faint,  yet  it  could  be  distinctly  heard. 
Like  the  noise  that  sometimes  accompanies  an 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  CANYON.  255 

earthquake,  it  seemed  to  come  from  no  partic- 
ular direction,  but  filled  the  air  all  around 
them.  It  continued  for  a  few  seconds,  grow- 
ing neither  louder  nor  fainter,  and  then  sud- 
denly ceased. 

Arthur  and  George  drew  a  long  breath, 
and  looked  at  their  companion  with  eyes  that 
were  full  of  curiosity  and  alarm. 

*"  What  is  it?"  they  asked,  almost  involun- 
tarily sinking  their  voices  into  a  whisper. 

"  It  is  the  mystery  of  Lost  River  Canyon," 
replied  Bob,  solemnly.  "  Here's  Mr.  Evans. 
Ask  him." 

The  boys  turned  about  in  their  saddles, 
and  saw  that  the  wagon  had  come  up  and 
stopped  close  behind.  They  knew  that  both 
of  its  occupants  had  been  listening  to  the 
strange  sound  that  had  just  died  away.  Mr. 
Evans  looked  indifferent,  but  Uncle  Bob  was 
visibly  affected. 

"  What  is  it,  Mr.  Evans  ?  and  where  does  it 
come  from?"  asked  George,  as  he  rode  up 
beside  the  wagon. 

"  It  undoubtedly  has  its  origin  somewhere 
in  the  mountains,"  was  the  reply ;  "  but  just 


256       THE  MYSTEEY  OF  LOST  EIVEE  CANYON. 

where  it  comes  from,  and  what  causes  it,  are 
questions  that  no  one  has  yet  been  able  to 
answer." 

"  What  is  your  theory  ?"  asked  George. 

"  I  have  none.'* 

"  Why  doesn't  somebody  go  into  the  moun- 
tains and  solve  the  mystery  ?'' 

"  Haven't  I  told  you  over  and  over  again 
that  the  attempt  has  often  been  made,  and 
that  nothing  ever  came  of  it?"  said  Bob. 
"  I  gave  you  to  understand  that  there  was  a 
mystery  connected  with  these  mountains,  and 
now  you  know  as  much  about  it  as  I  do." 

"  Couldn't  one  follow  up  the  sound,  and  so 
find  its  source  ?"  inquired  Uncle  Bob. 

"  Which  way  did  it  come  from  ?"  asked 
Mr.  Evans  in  reply. 

Uncle  Bob  was  obliged  to  confess  that  he 
didn't  know. 

"  Neither  do  I  know,"  said  Mr.  Evans. 
"  No  one  knows,  or  ever  will  know.  I  sup- 
pose that  there  is  no  better  hunting  to  be 
found  anywhere  under  the  folds  of  the  Stars 
and  Stripes  than  right  here  among  these 
mountains,  and  yet  you  could  not  hire  a  pro- 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  CANYON.  257 

fessional  hunter  or  an  Indian  to  penetrate  as  far 
into  them  as  a  week's  journey  would  take  him." 

"  Why  not  ?"  asked  George. 

"  Because  of  his  superstition.  The  Indians 
about  here  have  a  legend  to  the  effect  that 
this  country  once  belonged  to  a  giant,  who,  by 
some  means  or  other,  succeeded  in  getting 
into  a  row  with  his  nearest  neighbor — another 
giant — who  overcame  him  in  single  combat, 
hurled  him  into  a  canyon,  and  put  a  mountain 
on  top  of  him  to  hold  him  down.  When  we 
get  into  the  valley,  Bob  will  show  you  where 
that  mountain  is,  and,  when  you  see  it,  you 
will  say  that  it  really  looks  as  though  it  had 
been  thrown  in  there  bottom  up.  The  giant 
is  still  a  prisoner,  and  the  sound  we  have  just 
heard  is  the  heavy  breathing  he  makes  dur- 
ing his  struggles  to  free  himself.  At  the 
time  the  fight  took  place,  there  was  a  small 
stream  running  through  the  canyon  ;  but  the 
mountain  blocked  it  up  and  made  a  lake  of  it. 
As  the  lake  grew  in  size,  the  pressure  became 
so  great  that  the  water  finally  broke  a  hole 
through  the  mountain  and  ran  out,  leaving 
the  valley  as  you  see  it  now." 

17 


258       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  EIVEE  CANYON. 

"  How  often  have  we  got  to  listen  to  that 
unearthly  noise?"  asked  George. 

"  Just  as  often  as  the  giant  tries  to  throw 
off  the  mountain,  and  he  does  that  regularly 
every  three  hours,"  replied  Mr.  Evans. 

"  Great  Scott !"  exclaimed  Arthur. 

"  Oh,  that's  nothing !"  said  Bob.  "  You 
will  soon  become  so  accustomed  to  it  that  you 
won't  notice  it." 

"I  don't  suppose  that  such  a  thing  was 
ever  heard  of  before,"  observed  Uncle  Bob. 

"This  is  by  no  means  an  isolated  case," 
answered  Mr.  Evans.  "  Many  strange  sounds, 
real  or  imaginary,  have  been  heard  in  the 
workings  of  nature's  processes.  Travelers 
tell  us  that  on  a  distant  island  in  the  Bay  of 
Bengal  there  exists  a  phenomenon  known  as 
the  '  Barisal  guns/  which  is  frequently  heard 
at  the  beginning  of  a  rain-fall,  and  is  like  the 
sound  of  the  firing  of  a  cannon.  Some  have 
decided  that  these  sounds  are  atmospheric, 
and  owe  their  origin  to  electricity.  A  traveler, 
whose  name  I  have  forgotten,  writing  about 
the  villages  of  the  Himalayas,  describes  ex- 
ceedingly powerful  noises  heard  in  some  of 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  CANYON.  259 

the  mountain  peaks,  to  which  the  natives  can 
ascribe  no  cause.  Near  one  of  these  villages 
is  a  pond  which  the  natives  carefully  shun, 
because  frightful  noises  issue  from  its  depths. 
Well,  you  have  seen  your  new  home  at  a 
distance,  and  now  we  will  go  down  and  take 
a  nearer  view  of  it." 

Arthur  scarcely  closed  his  eyes  in  slumber 
that  night.  He  consulted  his  watch  at  short 
intervals,  and  heard  that  strange  noise  every 
time  it  was  repeated. 

It  sounded  indescribably  weird  and  dismal 
in  the  stillness  of  the  night,  and  Arthur  be- 
came so  worked  up  over  it  at  last,  that,  when- 
ever his  watch  told  him  that  the  imprisoned 
giant  was  about  to  resume  his  efforts  to  free 
himself,  he  drew  the  blankets  about  his  head 
and  held  his  hands  over  his  ears,  so  that  he 
might  not  hear  the  captive's  agonized  breath- 
ing. 

Daylight  brought  some  of  his  courage  back 
to  him  ;  but  as  often  as  the  three  hours  drew 
to  a  close,  he  became  visibly  nervous  and  ex- 
cited. 

The  travelers  resumed  their  journey  at  an 


260       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  EIVER  CANYON. 

early  hour,  and  at  one  o'clock  in  the  after- 
noon they  entered  the  valley.  The  newcomers 
were  not  at  all  disappointed  in  it.  It  proved 
to  be  even  pleasanter  than  it  looked  from  the 
distance  at  which  they  viewed  it  through  their 
field-glasses. 

Arthur  thought  it  would  be  a  nice  place 
to  live  if  that  giant  would  only  give  up  his 
useless  struggles  and  die,  and  the  country 
was  settled  by  people  of  his  own  class,  so  that 
he  could  have  somebody  to  associate  with. 

He  knew  little  about  books,  and  cared  less. 
He  took  no  interest  whatever  in  the  hunting 
and  fishing  to  which  Bob  and  George  were 
looking  forward  with  so  much  eagerness.  He 
was  too  lazy  to  ride  on  horseback  for  pleasure, 
and  for  the  life  of  him  he  could  not  see  how 
he  was  going  to  put  in  the  time. 

The  ranch  was  much  more  comfortable  and 
better  furnished  than  the  little  house  in 
which  he  had  formerly  lived,  but  Arthur  did 
not  at  all  like  the  appearance  of  those  who 
took  care  of  it. 

They  were  all  men,  rough  in  dress  and  man- 
ners, and  loud  and  familiar  in  speech,  and  the 


THE  MYSTEEY  OF  THE  CANYON.  261 

greetings  which  they  and  a  small  army  of 
dogs  extended  to  Bob  Howard  were  boister- 
ous in  the  extreme. 

Bob  stood  among  them,  giving  one  hand 
to  be  shaken  by  the  men,  stooping  down 
now  and  then  to  caress  a  favorite  hound  or 
setter  with  the  other,  utterly  unable  to  speak, 
but  smiling  all  the  while  through  the  tears 
that  would  come  into  his  eyes  in  spite  of  all 
he  could  do  to  keep  them  back,  while  Uncle 
Bob  and  Arthur  were  entirely  unnoticed. 

When  Bob  found  opportunity  to  present 
them,  and  tell  who  they  were,  and  what  they 
had  come  for,  they  were  very  coldly  wel- 
comed, but  George  Edwards  was  doubled  up 
more  than  once  by  the  hearty  grasps  he  re- 
ceived. 

These  men  were  neither  blind  nor  deaf. 
They  knew  all  about  that  provision  in  the 
will  by  which  Uncle  Bob  had  been  brought 
there,  and  they  knew,  too,  how  dishonorably 
he  had  acted  toward  his  brother,  for  Mr. 
Evans  had  given  them  a  full  history  of  it. 
Their  late  employer  had  held  a  high  place  in 
their  estimation,  and  they  could  not  bear  to 


262       THE  MYSTEEY  OF  LOST  EIVEE  CANYON. 

have  a  stranger,  and  a  man  like  this,  step  into 
his  shoes. 

"  I  am  satisfied  of  one  thing,"  said  Uncle 
Bob,  as  he  and  Arthur  took  possession  of  the 
room  to  which  they  had  been  conducted. 
"  We  have  got  into  a  bed  of  thorns.  Some- 
body has  been  slandering  me,  and  these  peo- 
ple have  made  up  their  minds  to  hate  me, 
without  giving  me  time  to  show  them  what 
manner  of  man  I  am.  Now,  Arthur,  let  me 
caution  you.  You  have  come  out  here  in- 
tending to  carry  things  with  a  high  hand, 
but  that  will  never  do.  For  a  while,  at  least, 
you  must  conduct  yourself  in  all  respects  as 
though  you  had  no  more  rights  here  than 
a  casual  visitor,  and  I  will  do  the  same.  Our 
first  hard  work  must  be  to  learn  something 
of  the  way  in  which  a  sheep  ranch  is  con- 
ducted, and  while  we  are  doing  that,  we  must 
make  all  the  friends  we  can.  After  we  have 
firmly  established  ourselves  here,  we  can  take 
the  position  to  which  we  are  entitled  by  the 
terms  of  the  will." 

Arthur,  who  had  hoped  to  be  recognized 
at  once  as  one  of  the  "  bosses  "  of  the  ranch, 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  CANYON.  263 

did  not  like  to  wait ;  nor  was  he  at  all  pleased 
at  the  idea  of  playing  visitor  when  he  thought 
he  ought  to  have  some  authority,  but  he  saw 
the  wisdom  of  the  course  his  father  had 
marked  out  for  him,  and  reluctantly  prom- 
ised that  he  would  follow  it. 


264       THE  MYSTEEY  OF  LOST  EIVEK  CANYON. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

THE   IDEA    SUGGESTED. 

A  RTHUR  and  his  father  lost  no  time  in  re- 
_1A-  moving  some  of  the  travel-stains  from 
their  hands  and  faces,  and  when  they  had 
put  on  plainer  suits  of  clothes  and  taken  off 
some  of  the  jewelry  they  had  worn  during 
their  journey,  they  went  out — Uncle  Bob  to 
find  Mr.  Evans,  and  Arthur  to  hunt  up  Bob, 
who  had  promised  to  show  him  and  George 
the  mountain  under  which  the  vanquished 
giant  was  imprisoned. 

The  former  found  Mr.  Evans  waiting  for 
him  in  a  little  room  in  which  the  late  owner 
of  the  ranch  had  transacted  all  his  business, 
and  which  was  known  as  the  office. 

There  was  a  desk  and  safe  there,  arm-chairs 
in  abundance,  and  two  large  book-cases — one 
being  devoted  to  works  on  agriculture  and 
stock-raising,  while  the  other  was  filled  with 


THE  IDEA  SUGGESTED.  265 

histories,  biographies,  and  works  of  like  char- 
acter— for  Ebeu  Howard,  unlike  his  brother 
Robert,  was  a  hard  reader  and  a  man  of  con- 
siderable attainments. 

The  safe  was  open,  and  piles  of  papers  and 
note-books  relating  to  the  business  of  the 
ranch  were  scattered  about  over  the  desk. 

Uncle  Bob,  assisted  by  Mr.  Evans,  at  once 
went  to  work  to  make  himself  master  of  the 
contents  of  the  books  and  papers,  paying  par- 
ticular attention  to  his  brother's  will,  of  course, 
while  the  boys  walked  down  the  river-bank 
toward  the  canyon,  with  a  score  or  more  hunt- 
ing-dogs at  their  heels. 

Arthur,  who  hadn't  soul  enough  in  him  to 
like  either  a  dog  or  a  horse,  couldn't  see  the 
use  of  such  a  pack  of  mongrels,  some  of  which 
looked  savage  enough  to  tear  him  in  pieces, 
and  he  did  not  hesitate  to  say  so. 

"  There's  not  a  single  mongrel  in  the  whole 
lot,"  said  Bob,  who  was  not  accustomed  to  hear- 
ing his  favorites  spoken  of  so  slightingly. 
"These  two,"  he  added,  putting  his  arms 
around  a  brace  of  glossy-coated  setters,  which 
sprang  up,  one  on  each  side,  and  placed  their 


266       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  RIVEK  CANYON. 

paws  on  his  shoulders,  "are  the  best  bird- 
dogs  I  ever  saw,  and  cannot  be  beaten  as 
land  and  water  retrievers.  That  fellow  is  a 
Scotch  deer-hound,  and  he  and  his  mates  can 
overtake  and  pull  down  a  prong-horn  in  a 
fair  race.  In  fact,  there's  nothing  in  this 
country  they  can't  catch,  except  the  mule- 
rabbit — sometimes  called  the  jack-rabbit — 
although  it  is  no  more  a  rabbit  than  I  am, 
for  it  doesn't  burrow." 

"  What  gives  it  its  name  ?"  asked  George. 

"  Its  ears,  which  are  the  biggest  part  of  the 
animal.  I  tell  you  they  are  fleet.  One  writer 
says  they  can  run  so  fast  that  the  whizzing 
sound  they  make  in  passing  through  the  air 
can't  keep  up  with  them.  The  savage  ones 
in  the  pack  are  wolf-dogs.  We  have  about  fifty 
of  them  altogether,  and  we  couldn't  get  along 
without  them.  They  keep  the  gray  wolves — 
which  are  much  more  abundant  in  the  moun- 
tains than  we  wish  they  were — from  killing 
off  the  sheep. 

While  Bob  was  describing  the  character- 
istics of  the  different  members  of  the  pack, 
and  relating  some  interesting  hunting  stories, 


THE  IDEA  SUGGESTED.  267 

of  which  they  were  the  heroes,  he  and  his 
companions  were  walking  slowly  along  the 
bank  of  the  river,  which  was  as  smooth  as 
a  mirror  and  as  black  as  ink ;  but  its  color 
was  owing  to  the  nature  of  the  soil  through 
which  it  flowed,  for,  when  Bob  dipped  some 
of  it  up  in  his  drinking-cup,  they  found  that 
it  was  as  clear  as  crystal. 

Boy-like,  they  amused  themselves  by  skip- 
ping stones  over  its  glassy  surface,  and  finally, 
Arthur  threw  in  a  stick  and  tried  to  induce 
one  of  the  retrievers  to  go  in  and  bring  it 
out ;  but  the  dog  only  dropped  his  head  and 
tail,  and  moved  further  away  from  the  bank. 

"  You  can't  make  them  go  into  the  water 
this  side  of  the  lake,"  said  Bob,  with  a  laugh. 
"  You  can't  even  make  them  wet  their  fore- 
feet, unless  you  take  hold  of  them  and  push 
them  in." 

"Why  not?"  inquired  Arthur. 

"  Because  they  have  been  whipped  for  it 
too  many  times.  I  tell  you  some  of  them 
cost  a  lot  of  money,  and  they  are  too  valu- 
able to  be  lost.  You  may  not  think  so,  but 
if  the  best  swimmer  in  the  pack  should  ven- 


268       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  RIVEK  CANYON. 

ture  as  far  out  into  the  water  as  you  threw 
that  stick,  he  would  never  come  ashore  again." 

"  Where  would  he  go  ?" 

"  Down  into  the  bowels  of  the  earth,  if 
that's  where  the  river  goes,  and  the  Indians 
say  it  is.  If  you  don't  believe  it,  just  look 
there." 

At  this  moment  the  three  boys  emerged 
from  a  little  grove  of  scrub-oaks,  which  lined 
the  bank  of  the  river  for  a  hundred  yards  or 
more.  It  was  one  of  Bob's  favorite  resorts. 
He  always  kept  a  hammock  swung  there 
when  he  was  at  home,  and  during  the  hot 
days  in  summer,  when  the  rays  of  the  sun 
beat  down  into  the  valley  with  merciless  fury, 
and  the  panting  sheep  sought  refuge  in  the 
cottonwoods,  and  all  nature  seemed  gasping 
for  breath,  Bob  would  take  possession  of  that 
hammock,  and  while  away  the  sultry  hours 
with  some  interesting  book,  or  swing  himself 
to  sleep,  lulled  by  the  drone  of  insect  life, 
with  which  the  branches  above  him  were 
filled. 

As  Bob  spoke,  he  pointed  toward  the  lower 
end  of  the  valley,  which  was  not  more  than 


THE  IDEA  SUGGESTED.  269 

five  hundred  yards  distant.  The  boys  looked, 
and  an  exclamation  of  amazement  burst  from 
their  lips. 

"  Why,  where  does  the  river  go  ?"  cried 
Arthur,  as  soon  as  he  could  speak. 

"It  goes  into  that  hole,  of  course,"  replied 
Bob.  "And  look  here.  Do  you  see  those 
two  cracks  that  run  diagonally  up  the  bluff 
each  side  of  the  hole  ?  They  show  the  shape 
and  size  of  the  mountain  that  the  victorious 
giant  threw  upon  his  foe  to  keep  him  down." 

"  He  must  have  thrown  it  into  the  canyon 
with  force  enough  to  split  it,"  observed  George ; 
"  for  I  can  see  a  third  crack  running  up  the 
cliff  from  the  top  of  the  hole." 

The  "  hole  "  to  which  the  boys  referred  ap- 
peared, at  first  glance,  to  be  the  mouth  of  an 
enormous  cave,  but  it  was  not  so  in  reality. 
The  "  crack,"  to  which  George  directed  the 
attention  of  his  companions,  pointed  out  the 
position  of  a  canyon — a  very  narrow  one,  to 
be  sure,  for,  if  the  boys  could  have  contrived 
any  way  to  get  to  the  top  of  the  cliff,  they 
would  have  found  that  they  could  almost 
jump  across  it. 


270       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  EIVEE  CANYON. 

The  other  two  "  cracks  "  were  simply  wide 
and  deep  fissures,  which  had  been  cut  in  the 
face  of  the  cliff  by  the  action  of  the  ele- 
ments, but  still  the  space  between  them  did 
look  wonderfully  like  a  mountain  turned  bot- 
tom side  up. 

The  mouth  of  the  canyon  did  not  seem  to 
be  so  very  large,  after  they  came  to  look  at  it 
awhile,  and  Bob's  companions  were  much 
surprised  when  he  told  them  that,  according 
to  his  father's  measurements,  it  was  four  hun- 
dred feet  wide,  and  more  than  half  as  high. 

It  was  shrouded  in  an  impenetrable  dark- 
ness, and  not  a  sound  came  forth  from  its 
depths.  Swiftly  and  silently  the  river  sped 
on  its  way,  and  so  smooth  and  deep  was  its 
channel,  so  free  from  hidden  rocks  and  every 
other  obstruction,  that  there  was  not  even  the 
smallest  ripple  on  its  surface. 

"  I'll  tell  you  what's  a  fact,"  said  George, 
who  had  been  awed  into  silence  by  the  terrific 
grandeur  of  the  scene.  "  If  I  had  just  half 
a  grain  more  of  superstition,  I  could  put  full 
faith  in  that  Indian  legend." 

"  His  story  fits  the  place  pretty  well,"  an- 


THE  IDEA  SUGGESTED.  271 

swered  Bob,  "and  in  making  it  up  he  did 
better  than  any  white  man  can  do — he  ac- 
counted for  everything  in  a  way  that  was  per- 
fectly satisfactory  to  himself.  How  do  you 
suppose  he  knew  that  there  was  a  time  when 
this  valley  was  all  under  water  ?" 

"  He  didn't  know  it,"  replied  George.  "He 
only  guessed  it." 

"And  geology  bears  him  out  in  his  guess," 
said  Bob.  "  If  you  are  persevering  and  en- 
during enough  to  climb  about  half-way  up 
some  of  these  cliffs — as  a  party  of  Eastern 
college  students  did  a  few  years  ago — you 
will  find  shells  that  were  left  there  when  the 
water  receded." 

"  If  a  fellow  got  into  this  current,  he 
wouldn't  have  much  show  for  his  life,  would 
he  ?"  said  Arthur,  who  marveled  greatly  at 
the  rapidity  with  which  the  sticks  he  threw 
into  the  water  disappeared  in  the  black  mouth 
of  the  canyon. 

"  He  might  as  well  be  in  the  rapids  at 
Niagara  Falls,"  answered  Bob,  "  Now,  while 
I  think  of  it,  I  want  to  give  you  two  a  word 
of  caution  and  advice :  The  lake  and  the 


272       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  RIVER  CANYON. 

river  above  it,  as  far  up  as  the  falls,  are  per- 
fectly safe  for  boating  and  bathing,  but  this 
end  of  the  stream  will  be  the  death  of  the 
first  person  who  ventures  upon  it,  I  don't  care 
how  good  a  boatman  he  may  be.  So,  when 
you  go  out  on  the  river,  remember  that  con- 
stant vigilance  is  the  price  of  your  life ;  and 
do  not,  under  any  circumstances,  allow  the  cur- 
rent to  carry  your  boat  below  that  big  cotton- 
wood  you  see  up  there  on  the  opposite  bank." 

Having  taken  a  good  look  at  the  canyon, 
the  boys  bent  their  steps  toward  the  rancho. 
As  they  were  passing  through  the  grove, 
they  met  a  roughly-dressed  but  intelligent- 
looking  man,  who  greeted  Bob  cordially,  and 
was  introduced  to  George  and  Arthur  as  Mr. 
Jacobs,  the  superintendent. 

He  had  had  full  charge  of  the  ranch  ever 
since  it  was  started,  and  that  he  cherished  a 
deep-rooted  affection  for  his  late  employer, 
and  anything  but  kindly  feelings  for  those 
who  had  come  there  to  take  his  place,  was 
made  very  plain  by  his  actions. 

He  greeted  Arthur  coolly,  and  did  not  offer 
to  shake  hands  with  him,  but  when  he  spoke 


THE  IDEA  SUGGESTED.  273 

to  Bob  of  his  father  the  tears  came  into  his 
eyes. 

After  telling  the  boy  how  glad  he  was  to 
see  him  again,  and  how  deeply  he  sympa- 
thized with  him  in  the  great  loss  he  had  sus- 
tained, he  began  talking  about  the  affairs  of 
the  ranch.  At  length  he  said  abruptly  : 

"  By-the-way,  Sam  has  come  back  again." 

"  He  has !"  exclaimed  Bob,  in  a  tone  of 
disgust.  "  What  does  he  want  ?" 

"  He  wants  a  job  of  herding  sheep/'  an- 
swered the  superintendent. 

"  Well,  he  can't  have  it !  We  don't  want 
any  such  men  as  he  is.  I  thought  my  father 
told  him  never  to  show  his  face  about  here 


again." 


"So  he  did,  but  Sam  knows  that  your 
father  is  not  here  now  to  drive  him  away." 

"  That  doesn't  make  any  difference.  I  am 
here,  and  my  father's  wishes  shall  be  re- 
spected. This  Sam  is  a  bad  fellow,"  said 
Bob,  turning  to  his  companions.  "He  and 
three  other  cowboys  once  rode  into  Dixon 
Springs  and  began  shooting  right  and  left  at 
everybody  they  saw  on  the  streets." 

18 


274       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  RIVER  CANYON. 

"What  did  they  do  that  for?"  asked 
George. 

"  They  did  it  out  of  pure  bravado — nothing 
else — for  the  citizens  hadn't  done  anything 
to  them." 

"  Why  didn't  they  arrest  them  ?"  inquired 
Arthur. 

"Arrest  them  !"  repeated  Bob,  smiling  at 
Mr.  Jacobs,  who  smiled  in  return.  "  They 
couldn't,  and  besides  that  isn't  the  way 
things  are  done  in  this  country.  The  citizens 
returned  the  fire,  killed  two  of  the  cowboys 
and  captured  another,  whom  they  hanged  to 
the  nearest  tree.  Sam  was  the  only  one  who 
escaped.  Of  course  father  discharged  him 
at  once,  and  Sam  sent  him  word  that  he  was 
waiting  for  a  chance  to  take  vengeance  on 
him.  Now  he  has  the  impudence  to  come 
back  here  and  ask  for  a  job.  Kick  him  off 
the  ranch,  Mr.  Jacobs." 

"  I  don't  think  it  would  be  quite  safe  to 
attempt  that,  Bob,"  said  the  superintendent. 
"Sam's  temper  is  rather  uncertain,  and  he 
is  very  fond  of  using  his  revolver;  but,  if 
you  say  so,  I'll  not  give  him  work." 


THE  IDEA  SUGGESTED.  275 

"  I  do  say  so,  certainly.  I  don't  want  liim 
around." 

"All  right.  And  I  say,  Bob,"  added  the 
superintendent,  in  a  lower  tone,  "we  can't 
get  rid  of  him  until  he  chooses  to  go,  and, 
while  he  is  hanging  about  here,  I  would  be  a 
little  careful  of  myself,  if  I  were  in  your 
place.  Sam  is  treacherous  and  vindictive, 
and  there  is  no  telling  what  he  may  make  up 
his  mind  to  do." 

Mr.  Jacobs  went  off  about  his  business,  and 
the  three  boys  kept  on  to  the  ranch.  When 
they  reached  it,  Bob  and  George  went  to  their 
room  to  overhaul  their  fishing-tackle,  pre- 
paratory to  a  day's  sport  on  the  lake,  while 
Arthur  lingered  on  the  porch.  He  wanted 
to  see  Sam. 


276       THE  MYSTEEY  OF  LOST  EIVER  CANYON. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

OFF   FOR   CAMP. 

"  T  THINK  Bob  is  taking  a  good  deal 
JL  upon  himself  when  he  presumes  to 
say  who  shall  be  employed  on  this  ranch, 
and  who  shall  not,"  said  Arthur  to  himself. 
"He  has  no  right  to  open  his  head.  My 
father  is  boss  here  now,  and  Bob  and  Mr. 
Jacobs  will  find  it  out  before  they  are  many 
days  older.  I  wonder  if  that's  Sam  ?" 

While  these  thoughts  were  passing  through 
Arthur's  mind,  he  was  walking  slowly  along 
the  porch.  As  he  turned  the  corner  of  the 
building,  he  saw  a  broad-shouldered,  smooth- 
faced young  fellow,  leaning  against  a  door- 
casing,  and  talking  with  somebody  in  the 
kitchen. 

He  did  not  look  like  one  who  would  risk 
his  life  by  raiding  a  town  of  a  thousand  in- 
habitants, "just  for  the  fun  of  the  thing;" 


OFF  FOE  CAMP.  277 

but  still,  there  was  something  about  him 
which  told  Arthur  that  he  was  the  man  he 
wanted  to  see. 

The  earnest  manner  in  which  Bob  had 
cautioned  him  and  George  Edwards  to  be- 
ware of  the  current  in  the  river,  and  the  su- 
perintendent's words  of  warning,  had  sug- 
gested an  idea  to  Arthur,  and  it  had  sud- 
denly occurred  to  him  that  Sam  would  be 
just  the  man  to  assist  him  in  carrying  it  into 
execution. 

"  Bob  and  George  are  going  over  to  the 
other  side  of  the  lake  to-morrow,  to  spend 
two  or  three  days  in  camp,"  he  had  said  to 
himself.  "  And  if,  while  they  are  going  up 
the  river,  their  oars  should  break  and  their 
boat  should  float  down  into  the  current,  why, 
then—" 

He  did  not  follow  out  this  train  of  thought, 
for  it  frightened  him  ;  but  it  was  easy  enough 
to  tell  what  he  looked  forward  to. 

As  Arthur  approached,  the  smooth-faced 
young  fellow  bowed  to  him  very  civilly  ;  and 
that  was  more  respect  than  any  other  person 
about  the  ranch  had  yet  shown  him. 


278       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  EIVEE  CANYON. 

All  those  to  whom  he  and  his  father  had 
been  introduced  seemed  to  look  upon  them  as 
interlopers,  and  would  not  even  shake  hands 
with  them  ;  but  this  man  was  polite,  if  he  was 
a  desperado. 

"  Are  you  Sam  ?"  asked  Arthur. 

"  That's  what  they  call  me,  when  they  tell 
me  that  dinner  is  ready,"  was  the  simple 
reply. 

"  You  are  one  of  the  men  who  raided 
Dixon  Springs  awhile  ago,  I  believe?"  con- 
tinued Arthur,  who  saw  that  Sam  was  waiting 
to  hear  what  he  had  to  say  next. 

The  man  replied  that  he  was,  and  he  did  not 
appear  to  be  at  all  ashamed  of  it  either.  On 
the  contrary,  one  would  have  thought,  from 
the  way  he  answered  the  question,  that  he 
was  rather  proud  of  his  exploit. 

"  What  did  you  do  it  for  ?"  Arthur  wanted 
to  know. 

"Oh,  just  to  see  what  we  could  make  out 
of  it.  A  fellow  needs  some  sort  of  excite- 
ment to  stir  up  his  blood  once  in  a  while,  you 
know." 

Arthur  walked  toward  the  farther  end  of 


OFF  FOR  CAMP.  279 

the  porch,  and  Sam  who  showed  himself  to 
be  quite  willing  to  continue  the  conversation, 
turned  away  from  the  door  and  went  with 
him. 

"  I  am  Arthur  Howard,"  said  the  youth, 
as  soon  as  they  were  out  of  earshot  of  the  man 
in  the  kitchen. 

"So  I  supposed.  You  and  your  father 
have  come  here  to  take  charge  of  the  ranch, 
haven't  you?  Well,  I  will  tell  you,  for 
your  satisfaction,  that  you  are  not  wanted 
here." 

"  I  know  it !  I  has  been  made  very  plain 
to  me  since  my  arrival,  about  three  hours 
ago.  But  I  don't  see  how  these  men  are  going 
to  help  themselves.  The  estate  is  willed  to 
my  father,  to  be  held  in  trust  until  my 
cousin  Bob  is  twenty-one  years  of  age,  and 
we  are  going  to  stay  and  run  things  to  suit 
ourselves — that's  all  there  is  about  that!  You 
are  not  wanted  here,  either,  if  you  only  knew 
it.  Bob  says  you  shan't  have  employment 
on  the  ranch." 

"He  does,  does  he?"  said  Sam,  his  eyes 
flashing  with  anger.  "  He  wants  to  be  care- 


280       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  KIVER  CANYON. 

fill.  If  he  knows  when  he  is  well  off,  he 
will  have  little  to  say  about  me.  I'll  pitch 
him  into  the  river  and  let  the  current  take 
him  down  to  the  Lost  Canyon,  the  first  thing 
he  knows." 

"  He  told  Mr.  Jacobs,  in  my  hearing,  that 
he  wouldn't  have  any  such  man  as  you  on 
the  place,"  declared  Arthur.  "  He  said  that 
the  fact  that  his  father  wasn't  here  to  drive 
you  away,  wouldn't  make  any  difference.  He 
doesn't  want  you  around." 

Sam  looked  mad,  but  said  nothing. 

"But  neither  Bob  nor  Mr.  Jacobs  has  a 
word  to  say  in  regard  to  the  way  this  ranch 
shall  be  conducted,"  added  Arthur.  "  My 
father  is  the  head  man,  now,  and  they  will 
find  that  he  knows  how  to  assert  his  au- 
thority, too.  You  look  like  a  good  fellow,  and 
I  don't  see  why  you  shouldn't  stay  here  if  you 
want  to." 

"  I  am  good  enough  to  those  who  treat  me 
well,"  answered  Sam.  "  I  stand  by  those  who 
use  me  right,  and  serve  them  in  any  way  I 
can,  but  anybody  who  riles  me  wants  to  give 
me  plenty  of  elbow-room.  Your  father  would 


OFF  FOE  CAMP.  281 

step  into  quite  a  nice  little  property  if  Bob 
was  only  out  of  the  way,  wouldn't  lie  ?" 
added  Sam,  abruptly. 

This  was  the  beginning  of  a  long  conver- 
sation between  these  two  worthies ;  but  we 
need  not  stop  to  repeat  it,  for  the  results  of 
it  will  speedily  be  developed.  It  will  be 
enough  to  say  that  when  the  conference  was 
ended,  Sam  walked  off  with  the  assurance  that 
he  should  have  employment  on  the  ranch 
as  long  as  he  cared  to  stay  there,  while  Ar- 
thur went  into  the  house  and  made  his  way 
to  his  room,  taking  with  him  a  face  that 
was  pale  with  excitement  and  alarm. 

"  I  didn't  suggest  it,"  thought  he,  laying 
his  hand  on  his  heart,  which  thumped  loudly 
against  his  ribs.  "Sam  proposed  it  himself. 
He  takes  all  the  risk.  But  if  it  should  ever 
be  found  out — great  Scott !  I  wish  I  hadn't 
given  my  consent  to  it." 

Arthur  paced  up  and  down  the  floor,  wring- 
ing his  hands,  and  giving  other  indications  of 
a  very  agitated  state  of  mind ;  but  he  made 
no  effort  whatever  to  undo  the  wrong  to 
which  he  was  a  silent  but  willing  accessory. 


282       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  KIVEE  CANYON. 

He  was  so  terribly  frightened,  and  trembled 
so  violently  in  every  limb,  that  he  dared  not 
go  to  supper,  pleading  a  headache  as  an  ex- 
cuse for  his  non-appearance.  He  went  to 
bed  at  dark,  but  not  to  sleep.  He  lay  there, 
tossing  restlessly  about,  until  he  was  called 
up  to  witness  a  scene  the  memory  of  which 
went  with  him  to  his  dying  day. 

Meanwhile,  Bob  and  George  were  busy 
with  their  hunting  and  fishing  outfits — wip- 
ing out  rifles  and  shotguns,  critically  exam- 
ining flies  and  leaders,  and  making  all  the 
other  preparations  necessary  for  their  so- 
journ in  camp. 

The  only  weapon  that  Bob  intended  to 
take  with  him  was  a  three-barreled  Baker 
gun  (two  shot  barrels,  with  a  rifle  barrel  un- 
derneath), that  had  once  belonged  to  his 
father;  while  George  was  to  use  the  little 
fowling-piece  he  had  brought  up  from  the 
bottom  of  the  lake,  and  a  heavy,  muzzle- 
loading  rifle  that  had  bowled  over  more  than 
one  lordly  elk  on  his  native  heath. 

Bob  had  spent  an  hour  or  more  in  loading 
shells,  and,  when  lie  got  through,  the  Creed- 


OFF  FOE  CAMP.  283 

moor  cartridge-case  he  placed  upon  the  table 
was  about  as  heavy  a  weight  as  he  cared  to 
lift. 

"  Why,  Bob,  what  makes  you  take  so  much 
ammunition  ?"  asked  George,  casting  aside  a 
frayed  leader  that  had  parted  while  he  was 
testing  its  strength.  "  We  can't  use  it  all  up 
in  two  days.  One  would  think  that  we  were 
going  off  on  a  regular  campaign." 

"So  we  are.  We  shall  have  need  of  every 
cartridge  in  this  case  before  we  come  back," 
replied  Bob,  little  dreaming  how  true  were 
the  words  he  uttered.  "  I  wish  we  could 
take  a  couple  of  the  wolf  hounds  with  us. 
We  shall  be  almost  certain  to  catch  a  wolf 
in  the  valley,  and  I  should  like  to  have  you 
see  how  easily  the  dogs  could  overtake  and 
pull  him  down.  But  by  the  time  we  get  the 
tent  and  all  our  provisions  and  a  brace  of 
setters  crowded  into  the  boat,  it  will  be  pretty 
well  loaded,  I  tell  you.  Now,  if  Dick  Lang- 
don  were  only  here  to  go  with  us,  we  would 
have  a  time  of  it,  wouldn't  we  ?  By-the-way, 
George,  we  must  write  to  him  as  soon  as  we 
come  back.53 


284       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  EIVER  CANYON. 

Poor  Bob  was  destined  to  "  have  a  time  of 
it,"  as  it  was,  and  on  more  than  one  occasion 
he  told  himself  that  he  and  George  would 
never  live  to  write  a  letter  to  Dick  Langdon. 

As  the  boys  intended  to  make  an  early 
start,  they  made  all  the  preparations  they 
could  that  night,  so  that  they  would  not  be 
delayed  in  the  morning. 

Bob  gave  his  orders  to  the  cook,  who  pro- 
mised that  they  should  not  suffer  for  the  want 
of  something  to  eat  while  they  were  in  camp ; 
and  after  supper  the  skiff  was  hauled  from 
its  moorings  at  the  boat-house,  and  made  fast 
to  a  tree  on  the  bank,  in  front  of  the  ranch. 

The  little  tent,  which  had  sheltered  Bob 
and  his  companions  during  the  journey  from 
Dixon  Springs,  was  put  into  it,  together  with 
a  goodly  supply  of  canned  goods — enough  to 
last  them  a  month,  George  said — and  then 
the  two  setters  that  Bob  intended  to  take 
with  him  were  separated  from  the  rest  of  the 
pack  and  shut  up  in  the  kennel,  so  that  they 
could  be  found  when  wanted. 

After  that  the  two  boys  went  to  bed  and 
slept  the  sleep  of  the  innocent  and  healthy, 


OFF  FOB  CAMP.  285 

while  Arthur,  tormented  by  his  fears,  rolled 
uneasily  about  on  his  couch,  utterly  unable 
to  close  his  eyes  in  slumber. 

Bob  was  up  at  the  first  peep  of  day,  and  in 
a  very  few  minutes  he  and  George  were  ready 
for  the  start.  As  soon  as  they  were  dressed, 
they  made  their  way  to  the  kitchen,  and 
there  they  found  the  cook  and  a  cup  of  hot 
coffee  waiting  for  them.  One  of  the  tables 
was  loaded  with  the  bread,  pies  and  cookies  that 
had  been  baked  for  them  the  evening  before. 

"  There  isn't  room  enough  in  the  skiff  for 
all  that  pro  vender, "  said  George,  who  was 
fairly  astonished. 

"  It's  got  to  go  in,"  replied  Bob.  "  My 
schoolboy  appetite  clings  to  me  yet,  and  I 
never  go  into  camp  without  plenty  to  eat. 
If  the  fish  don't  bite,  we've  got  a  side  of 
bacon  and  a  whole  ham  to  fall  back  on." 

Having  eaten  breakfast  and  packed  the 
bread,  pies  and  cookies  away  in  baskets  which 
the  cook  brought  out  of  the  storeroom, 
they  bade  the  latter  good- by  and  left  the 
ranch. 

"  Look  out  for  the  current,  boys,"  said  the 


286       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  RIVER  CANYON. 

man,  as  he  stood  in  the  door  watching  them. 
"  There  must  have  been  a  heavy  fall  of  rain 
somewhere  in  the  mountains  yesterday,  for 
the  river  is  just  a-boorning  this  morning." 

"All  right,  Ike,"  replied  Bob,  cheerfully, 
"  I  know  too  much  about  this  stream  to  take 
any  risks." 

Notwithstanding  George's  prediction,  there 
proved  to  be  room  enough  in  the  skiff  for  all 
the  baskets,  as  well  as  for  the  two  setters 
and  everything  else  they  had  to  take  with 
them. 

After  the  guns  and  fishing-rods  had  been 
put  in,  and  Bob  had  satisfied  himself  that 
nothing  had  been  forgotten,  he  cast  off  the 
painter,  hauled  the  boat  broadside  to  the  bank, 
and  motioned  to  George  to  jump  in.  The 
latter  looked  dubiously  at  the  water  and 
hesitated. 

"  Hadn't  we  better  pull  the  skiff  up  the 
river  a  little  before  we  get  in?"  said  he. 
"  This  current  runs  like  lightning,  and  I  am 
afraid  we  can't  stem  it." 

"  Don't  be  uneasy,"  assured  Bob.  "  There's 
not  the  least  danger.  I  have  many  a  time 


OFF  FOR  CAMP.  287 

pulled  this  boat  from  this  landing  alone 
against  a  worse  current  than  this.  We  are 
perfectly  safe  as  long  as  we  don't  allow  our- 
selves to  be  carried  below  that  big  cotton- 
wood  you  see  over  there.  If  we  do  that,  we 
are  doomed." 

George's  fears  were  by  no  means  set  at 
rest ;  but,  nevertheless,  he  got  into  the  boat. 
When  he  had  shipped  his  oar,  Bob  threw  in 
the  painter  and  jumped  in  after  him,  push- 
ing the  skiff  away  from  the  bank  as  he  did 
so.  A  second  later  the  current  caught  the 
bow  of  the  little  craft,  which,  in  spite  of  all 
George  could  do  to  prevent  it,  swung  around 
as  if  she  had  been  hung  on  a  pivot,  and 
started  with  railroad  speed  toward  the  black 
mouth  of  the  canyon,  which  seemed  to  yawn 
close  in  front  of  them. 

"  Steady !  There  is  no  danger,"  said  Bob, 
encouragingly,  as  his  companion  suddenly 
faced  about  on  his  seat,  revealing  a  face  that 
was  as  pale  as  death  itself.  "  You  back  water 
strong,  while  I  give  way." 

The  struggle  was  destined  to  end  most  dis- 
astrously. 


288       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  KIVEE  CANYON. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

THE  TERRORS  OF  THE  CANYON. 

i  •  T\ON'T  stop  to  look  behind  you,  but 
_L/  back  water  the  best  you  know  how," 
said  Bob,  seeing  that  his  companion  now  and 
then  ceased  his  exertions,  and  faced  about  on 
his  seat  to  gaze  at  the  canyon.  "A  few  strong, 
steady  strokes  will  put  us  all  right." 

George  dropped  his  oar  into  the  water 
again,  and  pushed  it  from  him  with  all  his 
strength,  while  Bob  exerted  himself  to  the 
utmost  to  turn  the  boat  around  with  the  bow 
up  stream. 

For  a  long  time  the  contest  seemed  doubt- 
ful, but  gradually  the  skiff  began  to  turn, 
and  George  was  beginning  to  take  heart 
again,  when  suddenly  he  heard  an  ominous 
snap  behind  him,  followed  by  a  cry  of  alarm 
from  Bob. 

The  cold  chills  crept  all  over  him.     With 


THE  TEEEOES  OF  THE  CANYON.  289 

an  indescribable  feeling  of  terror,  he  turned 
quickly  about,  and  saw  his  companion  hold- 
ing the  stump  of  his  oar  in  his  hands,  while 
his  eyes  were  riveted  on  the  blade,  which 
was  floating  off  with  the  current. 

The  two  boys  looked  at  each  other  in 
silence,  and  then  they  looked  toward  the 
mouth  of  the  canyon. 

"  We  are  the  victims  of  treachery,  George," 
said  Bob,  as  soon  as  he  could  speak.  "  Some- 
body removed  this  leather,  sawed  the  oar 
half  in  two,  arid  then  put  the  leather  back 
again,  just  as  it  was  before.  Give  me  your 
oar.  If  I  can  keep  her  broadside  to  the 
stream,  perhaps  the  current  will  throw  us 
against  the  bank." 

He  did  not  speak  nor  act  like  a  boy  who 
stood  in  momentary  fear  of  a  violent  death. 
His  face  was  very  pale,  but  his  voice  and  his 
hands  were  steady,  and  his  words  were  uttered 
with  the  greatest  calmness  and  deliberation. 
He  was  as  cool,  apparently,  as  he  was  while 
scudding  before  the  gale  in  Dick  Langdon's 
water-logged  canoe. 

George,  on  the  contrary,  was  almost  par- 

19 


290       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  RIVER  CANYON. 

alyzed  with  terror.  His  hands  trembled  vio- 
lently, and  while  he  was  trying  to  unship 
his  oar,  in  order  to  pass  it  back  to  his  com- 
panion, it  slipped  from  his  grasp  and  fell 
into  the  water,  and  although  they  both  made 
such  frantic  efforts  to  recover  it  that  they 
came  within  a  hair's  breadth  of  capsizing  the 
heavily-loaded  skiff,  it  floated  quickly  out  of 
their  reach,  carrying  with  it  the  last  particle 
of  their  courage  and  all  their  hopes  of  escape. 

Being  left  at  the  mercy  of  the  current,  the 
skiff  gradually  veered  around,  until  her  bow 
pointed  down  stream,  and  once  more  started 
with  terrific  speed  toward  the  yawning  mouth 
of  the  canyon. 

"  It's  all  up  with  us,  George,"  said  Bob, 
still  speaking  with  wonderful  calmness.  "  No 
power  on  earth  can  save  us  now  from,  going 
into  that  canyon.  What  are  you  going  to 
do?"  he  added,  as  George  suddenly  arose  to 
his  feet  and  began  pulling  off  his  coat. 

"  I  am  not  going  under  without  making  the 
best  fight  I  can,"  replied  George,  in  despera- 
tion. "  I  am  going  to  see  if  I  can  tow  the 
boat  to  the  bank." 


THE  TERRORS  OF  THE  CANYON.       291 

"  Sit  down  r  said  Bob,  earnestly,  at  the 
same  time  seizing  his  friend,  and  pulling  him 
back  into  his  seat.  "  Are  you  tired  of  life  ? 
You  couldn't  stem  this  current  for  an  instant. 
It  will  be  time  enough  for  us  to  take  to  the 
water  when  the  boat  is  smashed  on  the  rocks 
in  the  canyon." 

The  boys  were  so  completely  stunned  by 
their  fearful  peril,  that  they  had  been  blind 
and  deaf  to  everything  else ;  but  now  they 
turned  their  eyes  toward  the  shore,  and  saw 
that  there  was  a  terrible  commotion  there. 

When  Ike  saw  the  oar  break  in  Bob's 
hands,  he  had  raised  his  voice  in  frantic  ap- 
peals for  help,  and  soon  succeeded  in  arousing 
all  the  inmates  of  the  ranch. 

There  were  a  dozen  or  more  of  them,  all 
stalwart,  courageous  men,  who  would  have 
risked  their  lives  any  day  to  save  Bob  How- 
ard. 

But  what  could  they  do  but  stand  help- 
lessly there  on  the  bank  and  see  the  boat 
and  its  terrified  occupants  disappear  in  the 
canyon  ? 

Some  seemed  to  be  urging  one  thing,  and 


292       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  EIVER  CANYON. 

some  another— all  except  Uncle  Bob  and  Ar- 
thur. 

The  former,  who  was  of  about  as  much 
use  in.  an  emergency  as  a  wooden  man  would 
have  been,  walked  aimlessly  up  and  down 
the  porch,  calling  loudly  upon  the  herdsmen 
to  do  something  and  be  quick  about  it,  while 
Arthur  stood  off  by  himself  and  gazed  at  the 
flying  boat  as  if  he  were  fascinated. 

The  only  ones  who  did  not  seem  to  lose 
their  heads  altogether  were  the  superintend- 
ent and  Mr.  Evans.  As  they  ran  swiftly 
along  the  bank  to  keep  pace  with  the  boat, 
Bob  saw  that  they  were  knotting  together  a 
couple  of  long  lariats. 

"  That's  our  only  chance,  and  it  is  a  very 
slim  one,"  said  he.  "  If  we  can  catch  that 
rope  when  it  is  thrown  to  us,  and  they  try  to 
pull  us  up  against  this  current,  they  will  draw 
the  boat  under." 

A  moment  later,  a  clear  strong  voice  was 
heard  above  the  excited  gabble  of  the  terror- 
stricken  herdsmen. 

"  Silence  I"  it  cried.  "  I  want  to  make  those 
boys  hear  me.  Bob,  stand  by  to  catch  this 


THE  TERRORS  OF  THE  CANYON.  293 

lasso,  and  we  will  haul  you  ashore.     Are  you 
all  ready  ?" 

"  Let  it  come !"  shouted  Bob  in  reply. 

In  an  instant  the  herdsmen  became  silent 
and  expectant.  Mr.  Jacobs  swung  the  coiled 
lariat  around  his  head  a  few  times  and  then 
launched  it  out  over  the  water.  Anxious  eyes 
watched  it  as  it  flew  through  the  air — not  in  a 
direct  line  for  the  boat,  but  several  feet  in  ad- 
vance of  it. 

"It's  going  wild!"  cried  George,  in  dis- 
may. 

"  Don't  be  alarmed,"  was  Bob's  encour- 
aging response.  "  The  current  will  take  us 
under  it." 

And  so  it  proved.  The  lariat  fell  squarely 
across  the  middle  of  the  boat,  and  the  two 
boys  threw  themselves  upon  it  and  held  fast 
to  it. 

A  wild  cheer  burst  from  the  men  on  shore, 
and  was  echoed  by  George  Edwards,  who  now 
looked  upon  their  rescue  as  a  thing  beyond  a 
doubt.  But  Bob  did  not  cheer,  for  he  knew 
that  the  worst  was  yet  to  come. 

The  lariat  was  slipping  through  his  fingers 


294       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  EIVEE  CANYON. 

in  spite  of  all  he  could  do  to  prevent  it ;  so 
he  took  a  turn  with  it  around  the  nearest 
thwart,  and  looked  up  to  see  what  Mr.  Jacobs 
was  doing. 

He  and  Mr.  Evans  who  held  only  about 
four  feet  of  the  other  end  of  the  lariat  in 
their  hands,  were  running  at  the  top  of  their 
speed  toward  the  grove,  evidently  with  the 
intention  of  using  one  of  the  trees  as  a  snub- 
bin  g-post. 

"  On  shore,  there,"  shouted  Bob,  whose  ex- 
citement was  greater  than  it  had  been  at  any 
time  since  his  oar  broke  in  his  hands.  "  Make 
another  lariat  fast  to  your  end,  so  that  you 
can  give  us  plenty  of  slack  when  the  strain 
comes.  If  we  don't  have  a  good  deal  of  slack 
the  current  will  certainly  carry  us  under,  un- 
less something  breaks. 

"All  right !"  shouted  Mr.  Jacobs.  "  Hold 
fast  to  your  end,  and  we  will  bring  you 
ashore  safe  and  sound." 

He  turned  and  said  something  to  one  of 
the  herdsmen,  who  darted  off  toward  the 
ranch.  When  Bob  saw  that  he  gave  up  all 
hope. 


THE  TEREOES  OF  THE  CANYON.  295 

"  It's  no  use,  old  fellow,"  .said  he  despair- 
ingly. "  If  that  man  must  go  to  the  house 
for  another  lariat  before  they  can  give  us  any 
more  rope,  we  might  as  well  make  up  our 
minds  that  we've  got  to  go  into  that  canyon. 
As  this  is  the  last  chance,  I  shall  have  to  bid 
you  good-by.  I'll  say—" 

Just  then  came  the  strain  which  Bob  so 
much  dreaded.  The  line  was  suddenly 
whipped  up  out  of  the  water  and  drawn  as 
tight  as  a  bow-string,  the  spray  flying  from 
it  in  a  perfect  shower. 

The  stern  of  the  skiff  was  jerked  violently 
around  toward  the  bank ;  but,  instead  of 
swinging  in,  as  everybody  hoped  and  be- 
lieved she  would,  she  careened  until  the 
water  came  in  over  the  gunwale,  and  she 
seemed  to  be  on  the  very  point  of  capsiz- 
ing. 

The  boys  threw  themselves  as  far  a.s  they 
could  over  the  opposite  gunwale  to  right  her ; 
but  just  then  there  was  a  loud  crash,  the  line 
was  torn  from  their  grasp,  and  Bob  and  his 
companion  recovered  themselves  just  in  time 
to  see  the  thwart,  to  which  the  lariat  had 


296       THE  MYSTEEY  OF  LOST  EIVEE  CANYON. 

been  made  fast,  fly  out  of  the  boat  and  land 
in  the  water  twenty  feet  astern. 

The  men  on  shore  stood  aghast,  and  the 
boys  clutched  the  gunwales  of  the  boat,  which, 
after  rocking  from  side  to  side  for  a  moment 
or  two  with  the  greatest  violence,  finally  came 
to  an  even  keel,  and  shot  toward  the  canyon 
with  accelerated  speed. 

It  was  too  late  now  to  do  anything  more. 
Escape  was  impossible,  and  even  George  had 
given  up  all  hope  of  it,  and  nerved  himself 
to  meet  his  fate.  He  and  Bob  had  just 
time  to  take  one  short  farewell  glance  at 
their  agonized  friends  on  shore,  and  then 
the  boat  was  swept  into  the  canyon,  and  dark- 
ness, impenetrable  darkness,  closed  about 
them ! 

No  pen  can  describe  the  anguish  of  mind 
experienced  by  these  two  boys  as  they  sat 
there  on  the  bottom  of  their  boat,  clinging 
to  the  gunwales  with  a  death-grip,  holding 
their  breath  in  suspense,  and  waiting  for 
their  frail  craft  to  be  smashed  into  kindling 
wood  against  some  unseen  obstruction. 

The    wind    whistled    past    their  ears,  and 


THE  TEEEOES  OF  THE  CANYON".  297 

deeper  and  blacker  grew  the  darkness  of  the 
canyon  cs  their  boat  sped  on  its  way. 

There  was  no  sound  heard  save  the  rush  of 
the  water  against  the  bank  on  either  hand, 
but  the  speed  with  which  they  were  moving 
was  simply  appalling. 

Believing  that  a  recumbent  position  was 
safer  than  an  upright  one — as  the  darkness, 
was  so  intense  that  it  seemed  as  though  the 
walls  and  roof  of  the  canyon  must  be  within 
easy  reach  of  his  head — Bob  threw  himself 
backward,  and,  with  his  head  resting  on  the 
tent  and  his  eyes  directed  toward  the  top  of 
the  canyon,  awaited  the  issue  of  events  with 
a  calmness  that  surprised  himself. 

Now  and  then  a  little  patch  of  light,  far 
above  him,  would  shoot  by  with  such  surpris- 
ing swiftness  that  his  hair  would  fairly  stand 
on  end,  and  he  would  clutch  the  sides  of  the 
boat  with  a  firmer  grip,  and  wonder  how  much 
longer  this  wild  ride  must  continue,  and  how 
long  it  would  be  before  the  catastrophe  would 
come. 

The  slightest  obstruction  in  their  course — a 
bush  leaning  over  the  water  and  striking  the 


298       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  RIVER  CANYON. 

bow  of  their  boat,  and  turning  it  from  its 
course  by  so  much  as  a  hair's  breadth — 
would  have  ended  all  this  suspense  and  anxi- 
ety in  an  instant  of  time. 

But  there  was  no  bush  nor  anything  else 
in  their  way.  The  channel  was  as  smooth 
and  deep  here  as  it  was  in  the  valley  they 
had  left — how  long  ago  ?  Was  it  an  hour  or 
a  day  ?  Bob  did  not  know,  for  he  could  take 
no  note  of  the  flight  of  time. 

The  interior  of  the  earth  must  be  a  long 
way  off,  he  thought ;  and  that  he  was  draw- 
ing nearer  to  it  every  minute  seemed  proba- 
ble, for  these  little  patches  of  light  he  had 
noticed  a  while  back  were  no  longer^  to  be 
seen.  Above,  around  and  beneath  him  was 
darkness. 

He  could  not  even  see  the  water  by  which 
he  and  his  companion  were  borne  along.  He 
wasn't  certain  that  he  had  a  companion  in  his 
misery,  for  he  had  not  heard  anything  from 
George  since  they  entered  the  canyon. 

He  was  about  to  pronounce  his  name,  when 
a  blinding  glare  of  light  shot  down  upon  him 
so  suddenly  that  it  frightened  him.  Was  he 


THE  TEEEOES  OF  THE  CANYON".  299 

awake  or  dreaming  ?  He  raised  himself  to  a 
sitting  posture  and  looked  about  him. 

Behind  him  was  a  black  opening  between 
the  mountains,  looking  exactly  like  the  one 
on  the  other  side  of  the  range,  and  in  front 
and  on  each  side  of  him  was  a  broad  and  fer- 
tile valley,  through  which  the  boat  was  flying 
with  undiminished  speed. 

Bob  rubbed  his  eyes  and  looked  again; 
and  at  the  same  moment,  George  Edwards, 
who  had  also  lain  down  in  the  boat  to  avoid 
hitting  his  head  against  the  rocks,  which 
were  at  least  two  hundred  feet  above  him, 
straightened  up,  revealing  a  face  so  pale  and 
haggard  that  Bob  was  startled.  But  he  was 
not  so  near  dead  as  he  seemed  to  be,  as  his 
actions  proved. 

The  river,  where  it  entered  the  valley, 
made  a  sudden  turn  to  the  right,  and  of 
course  the  current  set  into  the  bight  of  the 
bend,  taking  the  boat  with  it,  and  carrying  it 
within  ten  or  fifteen  feet  of  the  shore,  which 
was  thickly  lined  with  bushes. 

George's  first  act  was  to  catch  up  the 
painter  and  jump  overboard  with  it;  and, 


300       THE  MYSTEEY  OF  LOST  EIVEE  CANYON. 

although  the  current  whirled  him  along  as  if 
he  had  been  a  feather,  he  succeeded  in  cross- 
ing it  and  reaching  the  slack  waters  near  the 
bank. 

The  rest  was  comparatively  easy.  A  turn 
of  the  painter  around  a  convenient  sapling 
held  the  boat  until  the  current  swung  it  into 
the  eddy,  and  the  instant  it  touched  the  shore 
Bob  Howard  sprang  out. 

He  and  George  had  just  strength  enough 
to  make  the  painter  fast  to  the  sapling,  and 
then  they  sank  down  side  by  side  on  the 
grass,  and  lay  there  panting  and  exhausted. 

They  were  so  dazed  and  bewildered  by 
their  escape  from  the  grasp  of  the  current, 
which  they  regarded  as  little  short  of  miracu- 
lous, that  they  could  not  speak. 

They  did  not  move  until  they  were  brought 
to  their  feet  by  a  low,  rumbling  noise,  fol- 
lowed by  an  explosion  so  terrific  that  it  would 
have  drowned  the  discharge  of  a  battery  of 
the  heaviest  artillery. 

"  What  in  the  name  of  wonder  was  that  ?" 
gasped  Bob,  who  was  so  weak  that  he  shook 
like  a  leaf. 


THE  TERRORS  OF  THE  CANYON.  301 

George  did  not  answer.  He  was  looking 
over  Bob's  shoulder,  with  eyes  that  seemed 
ready  to  start  from  their  sockets. 

Bob  faced  about,  and  saw  a  sight  that 
well  nigh  extinguished  the  little  spark  of 
vitality  which  the  terrors  of  the  canyon  had 
left  in  him. 


302      THE  MYSTEKY  OF  LOST  BIVER  CANYON. 


w 


CHAPTEE  XXV. 

SAM   ASKS   FOR   HIS   PAY. 

*  *  TTTE  did  our  very  best  to  save  him,  but 
he's  gone,  and  my  father  is  a  mil- 
lionaire." 

This  was  the  burden  of  Arthur  Howard's 
thoughts,  as  he  wandered  restlessly  about  the 
grove,  with  his  hands  in  his  pockets,  and  his 
eyes  fixed  on  the  ground.  The  bank  of  the 
river  was  deserted  by  all  save  himself. 

The  herdsmen  were  gathered  in  little 
groups  about  the  ranch,  conversing  in  hushed 
tones,  and  now  and  then  there  was  an  omi- 
nous growl  among  them  that  boded  no  good 
to  somebody,  and  threatening  eyes  and  scowl- 
ing faces  were  turned  toward  the  window  of 
the  office. 

The  superintendent  and  Mr.  Evans  stood 
off  by  themselves,  occasionally  exchanging  a 
word  or  two,  but  generally  remaining  silent 


SAM  ASKS  FOE  HIS  PAY.  303 

and  thoughtful.  Uncle  Bob  sat  alone  in  the 
office,  thinking  sometimes  of  his  lost  nephew, 
but  more  frequently  of  the  bright  and  daz- 
zling future  which  had  so  suddenly  and  un- 
expectedly opened  before  him.  Like  Arthur, 
he  was  entirely  unnoticed,  the  men  about  him 
having  no  sympathy  for  him.  Their  thoughts 
were  with  Bob  and  his  companion. 

"  The  old  fellow  seems  to  take  it  very  much 
to  heart,"  said  Mr.  Jacobs.  "  But  it's  my  opin- 
ion it  is  all  put  on  for  the  occasion.'' 

"  That  seems  to  be  the  opinion  of  the  herds- 
men, too,  if  one  may  judge  by  their  looks 
and  actions,"  answered  Mr.  Evans.  "  If  they 
had  the  least  excuse  for  it,  they  would  put 
the  dogs  on  him  and  his  son  and  drive  them 
out  of  the  valley." 

"  I  know  their  temper  better  than  you  do, 
and  I  am  riot  far  from  right  when  I  say 
that  they  would  serve  them  worse  than 
that,"  said  the  superintendent.  "  If  the  men 
thought  that  Arthur  and  his  father  were  in 
any  way  mixed  up  with  this  morning's  work, 
a  regiment  of  soldiers  could  not  save  them." 

"  I  would  give  the  world,  if  I  owned  it,  to 


304       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  RIVER  CANYON. 

know  whether  or  not  they  suspect  anything," 
thought  Arthur,  who  now  and  then  stopped 
behind  a  tree  or  a  clump  of  bushes  to  take  an 
anxious  survey  of  the  groups  about  the  ranch. 
"  Why  don't  they  go  off  about  their  work, 
and  let  me  go  to  my  room  ?  They  needn't 
blame  me  for  anything  that  happened,  for  I 
didn't  suggest  it,  and  I  had  no  hand  in  car- 
rying it  out.  Sam  did  it  out  of  a  desire  to 
be  revenged  on  Bob  for  telling  Mr.  Jacobs 
that  he  could  not  have  employment  on  the 
ranch.  But,  great  Scott !  what  a  sight  that 
was  I"  said  Arthur,  covering  his  eyes  with 
his  hands.  "I  don't  think.  I  shall  ever  for- 
get it." 

And  he  never  did.  The  pale,  despairing 
face  which  the  helpless  Bob  had  turned  to- 
ward the  shore,  just  before  his  boat  took  its 
final  plunge,  haunted  him  day  and  night  as 
long  as  he  lived. 

Just  then  Arthur  was  startled  by  a  rust- 
ling in  the  thicket  close  by  his  side  (he  was 
so  timid  now,  that  every  little  thing  fright- 
ened him),  and  turned  quickly,  to  find  Sam  at 
his  side. 


SAM  ASKS  FOR  HIS  PAY.  305 

The  latter  was  as  serene  and  smiling  as 
usual,  and  did  not  look  at  all  like  a  man  who 
had  been  guilty  of  a  crime  for  which  his  life 
might  at  any  time  pay  the  forfeit. 

Arthur  was  glad  to  see  him  on  some  ac- 
counts, and  on  others  he  wasn't.  As  he  could 
not  bear  to  be  alone  with  his  accusing  con- 
science, he  wanted  somebody  to  talk  to,  but 
he  would  rather  it  had  been  somebody  besides 
Sam. 

It  would  have  been  a  great  relief  to  him  if 
the  herdsman  had  saddled  his  horse  and  left 
the  valley,  never  to  return ;  but  something 
told  him  that  Sam  did  not  intend  to  do  any- 
thing of  the  kind.  He  was  more  familiar  in 
his  manner  than  he  was  the  day  before,  and 
not  quite  so  civil. 

"  Well,  what  do  you  think  of  it  ?"  said  he, 
at  the  same  time  backing  up  against  a  tree, 
so  that  he  could  not  be  seen  by  the  men  about 
the  ranch.  "  You've  got  your  cousin's  for- 
tune, and  I  have  had  my  revenge." 

"  I  wish  you  hadn't  done  it,"  was  all  Arthur 
could  say,  in  reply. 

"  That's  a  pretty  way  for  you  to  talk,  now, 
20 


306        THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  EIVER  CANYON. 

when  it  is  too  late — isn't  it?"  said  Sam,  in 
disgust.  "  Yesterday,  you  were  eager  for  it. 
I  saw  it  very  plainly,  and  that  was  the  reason 
I  proposed  it." 

"  But  I  didn't  suppose  you  would  do  it." 

"  That  was  because  you  didn't  know  me. 
I  never  fool  about  such  things.  You  were  in 
dead  earnest,  and  I  knew  it,  and  acted  accord- 
ingly." 

"  Do  you  suppose  that  the  men  suspect 
anything  ?" 

"  If  they  did,  they  would  make  short  work 
of  us,"  assured  the  herdsman  with  a  grim 
smile.  "  We  wouldn't  be  here  to  see  another 
sunrise,  I  bet  you." 

Arthur  winced  at  this,  and  he  was  greatly 
alarmed,  too. 

Sam's  use  of  the  personal  pronoun  seemed 
to  indicate  that  he  was  not  willing  to  shoulder 
all  the  responsibility  himself.  According  to 
his  way  of  thinking,  Arthur  was  as  deep  in 
the  mud  as  he  was,  and  Sam  did  not  mean  to 
let  him  forget  it,  either. 

"Everything  is  in  our  favor/'  continued 
the  herdsman.  "  I  have  heard  Bob's  father 


SAM  ASKS  FOE  HIS  PAY.  307 

tell  him  more  than  once  that  he  didn't  look 
for  anything  but  to  see  him  lost  in  the  can- 
yon some  day,  and  there  are  others  who  have 
heard  him  say  the  same  thing.  So,  why 
should  they  suspect  that  we  had  anything  to 
do  with  it  ?" 

"  I  don't  know,  I  am  sure.  I  asked  the 
question  because  the  men  up  there," — here 
Arthur  nodded  his  head  toward  the  ranch — 
"  seem  to  be  angry  about  something." 

"  Probably  they  are ;  for,  as  I  told  you  yes- 
terday, they  don't  like  you  or  your  father. 
They  know  that  you  will  come  into  possession 
of  this  property  now,  and  they  don't  want  to 
have  it  so." 

"  I  don't  see  how  they  are  going  to  help  it." 

"I  don't  either;  but  they  can  make  this 
a  hot  country  for  you,  if  they  set  about  it. 
Now,  then,  to  business !  I  have  come  for  my 
pay." 

"  For  your  pay  !"  echoed  Arthur. 

"That's  what  I  said.  You  don't  suppose 
that  I  am  going  to  put  you  into  possession  of 
a  property  worth  millions  of  dollars,  and 
take  the  risk  of  a  lynching  for  nothing,  do 


308       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  RIVER  CANYON. 

you  ?  What  kind  of  a  hair-pin  do  you  think 
I  ain,  anyway  ?" 

Arthur  was  almost  overwhelmed  with 
amazement  and  terror.  He  had  never 
dreamed  of  this. 

"  I  don't  owe  you  anything,"  he  managed 
to  say  at  last.  "  I  told  you  that  I  would  use 
my  influence  with  my  father  to  have  you  em- 
ployed on  the  ranch ;  and  so  I  will,  just  as 
soon  as  Mr.  Evans  goes  away  and  I  can 
find  an  opportunity  to  speak  with  him  in 
private ;  but,  beyond  that,  I  can  do  nothing 
for  you." 

"  It  ain't  enough,  pilgrim  !"  replied  Sam, 
in  quiet,  but  decided  tones.  "  Must  have 


more." 


"  But  I  say  I  don't  owe  you  anything." 

"  I  reckon  I  could  make  you  change  your 
mind  in  just  two  minutes,  if  I  should  set 
about  it,"  said  Sam,  looking  at  Arthur  in  a 
way  that  made  him  shiver  all  over. 

"  How  much  do  you  want  ?" 

"  Well,  five  thousand  dollars  will  do  to 
start  on !" 

"  Five  thousand  dollars !"  gasped  Arthur, 


SAM  ASKS  FOE  HIS  PAY.  309 

who  thought  he  would  surely  have  fallen  to 
the  ground,  if  he  had  not  placed  his  hand 
against  the  nearest  tree  to  steady  himself. 
"  Why,  I  haven't  got  five  thousand  cents  to 
my  name." 

"  No,  I  suppose  not,"  replied  Sam,  indif- 
ferently. "  Clerks,  who  sport  such  dry  goods 
as  you  had  on  your  back  when  you  first  came 
here,  don't  generally  have  any  loose  change 
laying  around.  But  your  father's  got  it. 
He  must  have  twenty  or  thirty  thousand  dol- 
lars in  that  safe  of  his." 

"  But  he  wouldn't  give  any  of  it  to  me," 
said  Arthur,  who  was  every  moment  growing 
more  astonished  and  alarmed. 

"  Oh,  I  guess  he  would,  if  he  knew  all  the 
circumstances,"  answered  the  herdsman,  sig- 
nificantly. 

"  But  I  don't  want  him  to  know  all  the  cir- 
cumstances," protested  Arthur,  quickly. 
"And  what  excuse  can  I  make  to  him  for 
demanding  so  large  a  sum  of  money  ?" 

"That  is  a  matter  in  which  I  am  not  at  all 
interested.  I  don't  care  how  you  get  it,  so 
long  as  you  get  it;  and  I  fancy  you  will 


310       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  RIVER  CANYON. 

make  up  your  mind  to  do  it  after  you've  had 
time  to  think  the  matter  over." 

"  No,  I  won't/'  said  Arthur,  his  fears  giv- 
ing away  to  anger.  "  You  had  no  right  to 
ask  it  of  me,  and  I  shall  make  no  effort  to 
get  it.  I  shouldn't  succeed  if  I  did.  You 
proposed  this  thing  yourself,  and  did  the  work 
alone  and  unaided,  and  I— 

"Well,  why  don't  you  go  on?"  inquired 
Sam,  when  the  other  paused  and  looked  at 
him.  "  See  here,  my  friend,"  he  added, 
shaking  his  finger  at  Arthur,  while  his  eyes 
flashed  threateningly,  "  you  have  had  your 
say,  and  now  I  am  going  to  have  mine.  I 
want  that  money,  and  I  am  going  to  have  it, 
too.  You  hear  me  ?  If  you  won't  get  it 
for  me,  I  will  go  straight  to  your  father,  and 
tell  him  the  whole  story.  I  think  he  would 
rather  give  me  the  money  than  lose  all  Bob's 
millions  —don't  you  ?" 

"Oh,  don't  do  that!"  implored  Arthur, 
whose  anger  was  all  gone  now.  "  I'll  ask 
him  for  it  the  first  chance  I  get." 

"  But  if  he  wouldn't — if  he  doesn't  fork 
out  on  demand,  I  will  see  that  the  boys  get 


SAM  ASKS  FOE  HIS  PAY.  311 

wind  of  the  whole  affair,  and  what  do  you 
suppose  would  be  the  result?  They  are  just 
in  the  right  humor  for  business  now,  and  if  I 
should  leave  a  little  note  where  one  of  them 
could  find  it,  you  and  your  father  would 
be-" 

Here  Sam  stopped,  and  looked  up  at  the 
branches  over  his  head.  It  needed  no  words 
to  explain  what  he  meant. 

"Don't!  don't!"  cried  Arthur,  who  was 
trembling  in  every  limb.  "  I  will  ask  for  the 
money  before  I  go  to  sleep  to-night — honor 
bright,  I  will." 

"  I  knew  you  would  change  your  mind  after 
you  had  thought  the  matter  over,"  said  Sam, 
with  a  meaning  smile.  "  Now,  how  soon  may 
I  expect  to  get  the  five  thousand  ?" 

"  Just  as  soon  as  I  can  induce  my  father  to 
give  it  to  me,"  promised  Arthur. 

"  Well,  say  to-morrow,  then.  I  will  meet 
you  here  in  the  grove  right  away  after  break- 
fast. I  don't  want  a  job  at  herding  sheep, 
now,  and  I  don't  want  to  hang  around  any 
longer  than  I  can  help ;  so  don't  waste  any 
time." 


312       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  EIVEE  CANYON. 

"Are  you  going  away  ?"  asked  Arthur, 
eagerly. 

"  You  bet !  I  don't  think  my  constitution 
can  stand  this  climate." 

"And  will  you  promise  that  you'll  never 
come  back  and  make  any  more  demands 
upon  me  ?" 

"Not  much!  I've  struck  a  bonanza,  and 
I'm  going  to  work  it  as  long  as  the  lead  holds 
out.  I  know  what  you  are  thinking  of,  young 
man ;  but  you'll  find  that  I'm  nobody's  fool. 
Now,  remember,  I  shall  be  on  hand  to-morrow 
morning,  and  I  want  to  find  you  here  with 
that  money." 

Sam  disappeared,  and  Arthur  resumed  his 
wanderings  about  the  grove.  He  was  fright- 
ened almost  out  of  his  senses,  and  wished 
from  the  bottom  of  his  heart  that  he  had 
never  seen  or  heard  of  his  companion  in  guilt. 
He  even  went  further  than  that,  and  wished 
that  his  uncle  had  given  his  property  into 
the  keeping  of  somebody  else,  and  that  he 
and  his  father  were  back  in  Bolton,  where 
they  came  from.  What  in  the  world  could 
he  say  that  would  induce  his  cousin's  guar- 


SAM  ASKS  FOE  HIS  PAY.  313 

dian  to  give  him  the  five  thousand  dollars 
that  Sain  demanded  as  hush-money  ?  He 
knew  very  well  that  he  couldn't  get  it ;  and 
even  if  he  did,  what  good  would  it  do  him  ? 

There  was  evil  coming  upon  him ;  he  was 
sure  of  it.  And  this  money  would  only  post- 
pone it  for  a  little  while.  It  would  not  avert 
it,  for  Sam  had  said  very  plainly  that  he  was 
not  going  to  be  satisfied  with  the  amount  he 
had  named — that  he  intended  to  make  de- 
mands as  often  as  he  felt  like  it. 

Arthur  grew  almost  wild  when  he  recalled 
the  man's  words.  He  wrung  his  hands,  and 
even  quickened  his  steps  to  a  run,  as  if  he 
hoped  to  leave  his  haunting  fears  behind 
him. 

"  There  is  only  one  thing  I  can  do,"  said 
he  to  himself,  after  he  had  bestowed  as  much 
thought  upon  the  situation  as  the  perturbed 
state  of  his  mind  would  permit.  "  I  must 
get  away  from  here.  Father  must  give  me 
money  enough  to  take  me  back  to  Bolton.  I 
say  must  do  it,  or  I  shall  help  myself  to  what 
I  need.  There  goes  Mr.  Evans,  and  father 
is  probably  alone  in  the  office.  If  he  is,  I 


314       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  EIVEE  CANYON. 

will  settle  this  matter  with  him  before  I  am 
an  hour  older." 

So  saying,  Arthur  wiped  the  big  drops  of 
perspiration  from  his  face,  put  on  as  bold  a 
front  as  he  could,  and  started  toward  the 
ranch.  A  few  of  the  herdsmen  had  dis- 
persed to  their  work,  but  those  who  remained 
scowled  at  him  so  savagely  as  he  passed  that 
Arthur  made  all  haste  to  get  into  the  hall  out 
of  their  sight. 


ARTHUR  TRIES  TO  HELP  HIMSELF.  315 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

ARTHUR   TRIES   TO   HELP   HIMSELF. 

A  RTHUR  found  his  father  alone  in  the 
JLJL  office,  pacing  the  floor,  with  his  hands 
in  his  pockets,  and  a  look  of  triumph  and  ex- 
ultation on  his  face ;  but,  when  his  son  entered, 
he  sank  into  the  nearest  chair,  and  tried  to 
appear  very  sorrowful,  indeed. 

"  That  was  a  sad  event,  Arthur,"  said  he, 
with  a  long-drawn  sigh — "  a  very  sad  event. 
I  don't  wonder  that  you  look  frightened.  I 
was  frightened  myself,  and  so  was  every- 
body else ;  but  we  have  the  satisfaction  of 
knowing  that  we  used  our  utmost  endeavors 
to  save  him." 

We  have  already  told  how  hard  Uncle  Bob 
and  Arthur  worked  to  keep  the  boat  from 
going  into  the  canyon.  The  former  did 
nothing  but  shout  out  orders,  to  which  no- 


316       THE  MYSTEKY  OF  LOST  EIVEE  CANYON. 

body  paid  the  least  attention,  while  Arthur 
stood  by  and  looked  on,  without  uttering  a 
word. 

"  Yes,  I  know  we  did  all  we  could/'  replied 
Arthur,  faintly  ;  "  but  we  couldn't  help  him. 
Bob  knew  as  well  as  we  did  that  he  was 
doomed.  He  told  me  yesterday,  while  we 
were  down  the  river  looking  at  the  canyon, 
that  if  I  went  out  in  a  boat,  I  must  be  care- 
ful not  to  let  that  current  get  hold  of  me.  If 
I  did,  I  might  as  well  be  in  the  rapids  above 
Niagara  Falls,  for  nothing  could  save  me. 
Now,  father,  I  can't  stay  here  any  longer,  and 
I  want  you  to  give  me  money  enough  to  take 
me  back  to  Bolton." 

"  I  should  like  to  go  there  myself,  or  some- 
where else,  and  stay  until  time  has  somewhat 
effaced  the  memory  of  this  terrible  occur- 
rence ;  but,  under  the  circumstances,  I  don't 
think  it  best  for  either  one  of  us  to  leave," 
answered  Uncle  Bob. 

"  Why  not  ?"  asked  Arthur.  "  Why  can't 
we  both  go  ?" 

"  Because  our  absence  might  give  people 
occasion  to  say  hard  things  about  us." 


ARTHUR  TRIES  TO  HELP  HIMSELF.  317 

"  I  don't  see  why  it  should.  "We  had  noth- 
ing whatever  to  do  with  it." 

"  Certainly  not.  But  that  wouldn't  make 
any  difference  to  these  herdsmen,  who  are  as 
unreasonable  as  so  many  pigs.  I  can  see  very 
plainly  that  they  don't  like  us,  and  don't 
want  us  here  ;  but,  to  tell  you  the  plain  truth, 
Arthur,  I  should  be  afraid  to  go  away  after 
what  has  happened.'' 

"  Why  would  you  ?" 

"  Because  these  ignorant  men  would  take  it 
as  a  confession  of  guilt  on  my  part." 

All  unaccustomed  as  Arthur  was  to  reason- 
ing a  posteriori — that  is,  from  the  effect  to 
the  cause — he  told  himself  that  his  father 
never  could  have  reached  this  conclusion  if 
he  had  not  felt  guilty. 

Although  Uncle  Bob  tried  to  believe  that 
he  was  sorry  his  nephew  was  gone,  he  did 
not  succeed  in  deceiving  either  himself  or 
those  about  him ;  and  it  was  not  at  all  im- 
probable that  an  attempt  at  flight  on  his 
part  would  have  resulted  in  something  serious. 

Whenever  Uncle  Bob  allowed  his  mind  to 
dwell  upon  this  matter,  he  became  as  badly 


318       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  RIVER  CANYON. 

frightened  as  Arthur  was.  Dearly  as  he  loved 
money,  he  loved  life  better,  and  he  would  wil- 
lingly have  surrendered  his  nephew's  millions 
if,  by  so  doing  he  could  have  transported 
himself  and  Arthur  back  to  Bolton,  where  he 
knew  they  would  be  safe. 

"  And  must  we  stay  here  in  the  midst  of 
these  lawless  men,  who  may  at  any  moment 
take  a  notion  to  hang  us?"  exclaimed  Arthur 
in  great  alarm. 

"  It  seems  to  be  our  only  chance,"  confessed 
Uncle  Bob,  in  agitated  tones.  "  I  have  thought 
the  matter  all  over,  and  I  don't  see  that  we 
can  do  anything  else.  If  we  could  only  make 
these  men  believe  that  we  take  the  matter  as 
much  to  heart  as  they  do,  they  wouldn't  think 
so  hard  of  us;  but  they  are  very  obstinate  and 
set  in  their  ways,  and  it  will  take  time  to  ac- 
complish that." 

"  But,  father,  I  can't  stay  here,"  insisted 
Arthur,  jumping  to  his  feet,  and  walking  ner- 
vously up  and  down  the  floor.  "  I  shall  go 
crazy  if  I  do — I  know  I  shall.  If  you  won't 
go  with  me,  give  me  money  and  let  me  go 
alone.  You've  got  plenty  of  it.  I  heard  one 


AKTHUR  TRIES  TO  HELP  HIMSELF.  319 

of  the  men  say  that  there  were  twenty  or 
thirty  thousand  dollars  in  that  safe/' 

u  There's  more  than  that  in  there,"  said 
Uncle  Bob.  "  But  it  isn't  the  money  I  care 
for.  I  was  thinking  of  you.  It  would  not 
be  best  for  you  to  leave  now." 

"  I  will  take  all  the  risk,"  pleaded  Arthur. 
"  Don't  refuse,  for  if  you  do,  there  is  no  tell- 
ing what  may  happen." 

"  Don't  get  excited  over  it,"  advised  Uncle 
Bob,  who  was  anything  but  calm  himself. 
"  Be  governed  by  me,  and  hope  for  the  best." 

Arthur  who  became  almost  frantic  when- 
ever he  thought  of  Sam,  and  the  interview 
he  had  appointed  for  the  morrow,  "  right 
away  after  breakfast,"  said  everything  he 
could  think  of  to  induce  his  father  to  grant 
his  request,  but  he  urged  and  begged  in  vain. 

When  Uncle  Bob  once  made  up  his  mind 
to  a  thing,  he  was  fully  as  obstinate  and  un- 
reasonable as  the  herdsmen  to  whom  he  had 
referred  in  tones  so  contemptuous,  and  Arthur 
might  as  well  have  argued  with  the  stone 
walls  of  the  ranch. 

Finding  that  he  could  make  no  impression 


320       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  EIVER  CANYON. 

upon  his  father,  the  boy  grew  angry,  and  was 
more  than  once  on  the  point  of  declaring 
that  Sam  had  made  a  demand  upon  him  for 
five  thousand  dollars,  threatening,  in  case  of 
refusal,  to  publish  a  story  of  his  own  getting 
up,  that  would  induce  the  herdsmen  to  make 
short  work  of  both  of  them. 

But  his  guilty  fears  would  not  allow  him 
to  do  it,  and,  besides,  he  had  some  other  plans 
in  his  head  that  he  wanted  to  try  first,  so  he 
bolted  out  of  the  office,  banging  the  door  be- 
hind him. 

"  He's  the  meanest  old  hulks  of  a  father 
that  any  fellow  ever  had,"  thought  Arthur, 
stopping  in  the  hall  long  enough  to  shake 
his  fist  at  the  door,  "  and  I  don't  care  what 
happens  to  him.  As  he  is  too  pig-headed  to 
do  as  I  want  him  to  do,  I'll  help  myself  to 
every  cent  there  is  in  that  safe  this  very  night 
if  I  can  get  in.  If  I  succeed,  I  will  give  8am 
his  hush-money  to-morrow  morning,  and  hire 
him  to  show  me  the  way  to  the  railroad  sta- 
tion. I  have  seen  quite  enough  of  Arizona, 
and  if  I  can  only  get  aboard  a  train  of  cars 
that  is  headed  for  the  East,  the  prospect  of 


ARTHUR  TRIES  TO  HELP  HIMSELF.  321 

owning  four  times  four  million  dollars  won't 
bring  me  back  here." 

While  Arthur  was  talking  to  himself  in 
this  way,  he  looked  cautiously  out  of  the  door, 
and,  having  satisfied  himself,  by  a  few  min- 
utes' reconnoisance,  that  the  herdsmen  had  all 
dispersed,  he  walked  across  the  porch,  and 
bent  his  steps  toward  the  grove. 

He  wanted  to  be  alone,  and  this  was  the 
most  retired  spot  he  could  find.  It  was  utterly 
impossible  for  him  to  keep  still,  and  here  he 
could  walk  about  among  the  trees  without 
being  seen  by  anybody. 

Arthur  had  been  in  the  grove,  perhaps 
half  an  hour,  keeping  his  thoughts  busy  with 
the  plans  he  intended  to  put  into  operation  in 
case  his  attempt  to  steal  the  money  in  the 
safe  did  not  prove  successful,  when  he  saw 
the  superintendent  stop  in  front  of  the  porch 
with  a  couple  of  horses  that  were  saddled  and 
bridled. 

After  he  had  stood  there  for  a  minute  or 
two,  Uncle  Bob  came  out  of  the  ranch,  with 
his  hat  on  his  head  and  a  riding-whip  in  his 
hand.  He  mounted  one  o,f  the  horses,  Mr. 

2; 


322       THE  MYSTEKY  OF  LOST  EIVEE  CANYON. 

Jacobs  sprang  upon  the  other,  and  together 
they  rode  away. 

"  They  are  going  off  somewhere  on  busi- 
ness," soliloquized  Arthur,  "  and  this  is  as 
good  an  opportunity  as  I  shall  have  to  take 
a  look  at  that  safe.  I  wish  the  money  in  it 
belonged  to  me,  and  that  the  old  man  wanted 
some  of  it.  He  shouldn't  have  a  cent  if  he 
was  starving." 

Arthur  gave  the  horsemen  time  to  get  out 
of  sight,  and  then  he  left  the  grove  and  walked 
toward  the  ranch. 

He  went  into  the  office,  and  having  locked 
the  door  to  prevent  interruption,  he  began  an 
examination  of  the  safe,  which  was  set  into 
the  wall  so  that  nothing  but  the  face  of  it 
could  be  seen. 

If  it  had  been  provided  with  a  combina- 
tion lock,  Arthur  would  have  set  to  work 
upon  it  at  once  ;  but  as  it  was  an  old-fashioned 
article,  requiring  a  key  to  open  it,  he  could  do 
nothing. 

Thinking  it  possible  that  his  father  might 
have  left  the  key  in  the  room,  he  began 
looking  for  it  in  the  bookcases,  under  the 


ARTHUR  TRIES  TO  HELP  HIMSELF.  323 

lounge,  along  the  edge  of  the  carpet — in 
every  place,  in  fact,  that  seemed  to  offer  the 
least  chance  for  concealment,  but  his  search 
was  in  vain. 

"  It  is  in  his  pocket,  most  likely,"  said  Ar- 
thur, as  he  unlocked  the  door,  sat  down  in 
one  of  the  easy  chairs,  and  opened  a  book, 
which  he  had  taken  at  random  down  from 
one  of  the  shelves.  "  I'll  just  hang  around 
the  rest  of  the  day,  and  satisfy  myself  on 
that  point.  That  key  is  the  only  thing  that 
stands  in  my  way.  If  I  can  get  my  hands 
on  that,  the  rest  will  be  easy  enough,  for  I 
know  how  to  open  the  safe." 

Arthur  turned  his  chair  about  so  that  he 
could  not  see  the  river  when  he  happened  to 
glance  out  of  the  window — somehow,  he  could 
not  bear  the  sight  of  it  now — and  tried  to 
amuse  himself  by  looking  at  the  engravings 
in  the  book  he  held  in  his  hand  ;  but  the 
excitement  and  suspense  which  had  taken  the 
place  of  his  fears  were  too  much  for  him, 
and  sometimes  he  would  spring  to  his  feet 
and  rush  about  the  room  like  some  caged 
wild  animal. 


324       THE  MYSTEEY  OF  LOST  RIVEK  CANYON. 

But  he  was  quiet  enough  when  his  father 
returned  about  dinner-time,  and  came  into 
the  office,  accompanied  by  the  superintendent. 

Some  argument  had  arisen  between  them 
regarding  the  business  of  the  ranch,  and,  in 
order  to  settle  it,  they  had  to  refer  to  the  books 
that  were  in  the  safe. 

Arthur  suw  his  father  take  the  key  from 
his  pocket  and  insert  it  in  the  lock,  and  took 
particular  notice  to  the  way  he  twirled  the 
knob. 

When  the  door  swung  open  and  the  interior 
of  the  safe  was  disclosed  to  his  view,  Arthur 
was  not  a  little  astonished. 

One  of  the  shelves  was  piled  full  of  green- 
backs, and  on  the  shelf  under  it  were  four 
large  tin  boxes,  which  were  filled  to  the  brim 
with  bright,  shining  gold  pieces. 

As  he  did  not  care  to  stay  there  and  listen 
to  a  discussion  about  matters  of  which  he  knew 
nothing  and  cared  less,  Arthur  put  away  his 
book  and  went  out  into  the  hall. 

He  walked  about  for  a  few  minutes,  with 
his  eyes  fastened  thoughtfully  on  the  floor, 
and  then  hurried  to  his  room  and  began  to 


AETHUK  TEIES  TO  HELP  HIMSELF.  325 

unpack  his  valise.  He  had  not  thought  of  it 
before. 

"  There's  a  lot  of  money  in  that  safe,"  said 
he  to  himself,  "  and  I  must  have  something  to 
carry  it  in,  for  I  couldn't  get  the  tenth  part 
of  it  into  my  pockets.  I  don't  know  what 
the  old  man  will  say  when  he  finds  that  his 
safe  has  been  emptied ;  and,  in  order  to  keep 
it  from  his  knowledge  as  long  as  I  can,  I 
will  take  the  key  with  me  when  I  go.  I  wish 
now  that  I  had  told  Sam  to  meet  me  about 
midnight.  If  he  conies  to  the  grove  this  af- 
ternoon, I  will  make  new  arrangements  with 
him." 

Arthur  spent  the  entire  afternoon  in  the 
grove,  with  his  thoughts  for  company ;  but 
Sam  did  not  put  in  an  appearance.  He  knew 
better. 

He  had  made  some  threats  against  Bob  in 
the  presence  of  some  of  the  herdsmen,  and  the 
valley  was  not  a  safe  place  for  him.  He  was 
idling  away  the  time  in  the  seclusion  of  a 
deep  ravine  a  short  distance  away,  waiting  im- 
patiently for  the  morrow. 

Arthur  went  to  bed   as   soon   as  he  had 


326       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  EIVER  CANYON. 

eaten  his  supper,  and  when  his  father  came 
into  the  room,  about  eleven  o'clock,  he  lay 
with  his  face  to  the  wall,  apparently  fast 
asleep.  The  two  had  but  little  to  say  to  each 
other  since  the  interview  in  the  morning. 

Uncle  Bob  tried  to  be  sociable  while  they 
were  at  the  table,  but  Arthur  would  scarcely 
listen  to  him. 

"  I  was  the  only  friend  he  had  on  the 
ranch,"  the  youth  kept  saying  to  himself, 
"  and  I  want  him  to  see  that  he  has  made 
an  enemy  of  me.  If  he  doesn't  know  it  now 
he  will  find  it  out  very  shortly." 

It  was  long  after  midnight  before  Arthur 
made  any  move  to  show  that  he  was  awake. 
Then  he  turned  over  very  cautiously,  and, 
after  listening  intently  for  a  few  minutes,  he 
made  up  his  mind  that  the  time  for  action  had 
arrived. 

Noiselessly  he  arose  from  the  bed  and  moved 
towards  the  chair  upon  which  his  father  had 
deposited  his  clothing. 

After  a  little  fumbling  in  the  dark,  he  found 
the  pocket  of  which  he  was  in  search,  and  his 
fingers  closed  tightly  on  the  coveted  key. 


AETHUE  TEIES  TO  HELP  HIMSELF.  327 

Hardly  able  to  repress  an  exclamation  of 
triumph,  Arthur  picked  up  his  valise,  which 
he  had  placed  at  the  foot  of  his  bed,  unlocked 
the  door  and  passed  through  the  hall  into  the 
office. 

Feeling  his  way  to  the  safe,  he  put  the  key 
into  the  lock,  turned  the  knob,  and  the  door 
opened  for  him. 

"  It's  all  mine,"  thought  he,  as  he  opened 
his  valise  and  proceeded  to  stow  the  green- 
backs away  in  it.  "  If  father  wants  to  stay 
here,  and  run  the  risk  of  being  hanged,  he 
can  do  it  and  welcome;  but  I'm  off  for  Bol- 
ton,  this  very — " 

All  on  a  sudden,  the  door  of  the  office 
creaked  on  its  hinges,  and  the  room  was  bril- 
liantly illuminated.  With  a  piercing  cry  of 
terror,  Arthur  looked  over  his  shoulder  and 
saw  his  father  standing  behind  him,  holding 
a  lamp  in  one  hand  and  a  big  revolver  in  the 
other. 


328       THE  MYSTEEY  OF  LOST  EIVEE  CANYON. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

THE    LISTENER    IN    THE   GKOVE. 

IT  is  hard  to  tell  which  was  the  more  aston- 
ished by  this  unexpected  encounter — the 
father,  who  having  been  aroused  from  un- 
easy slumber  by  the  stealthy  closing  of  his 
bedroom  door,  and  growing  alarmed  for  the 
safety  of  the  large  amount  of  money  in  his 
possession,  had  aroused  himself  and  come  into 
the  office  to  make  sure  that  everything  was 
right  there,  or  the  son,  who  had  so  suddenly 
been  interrupted  in  the  very  act  of  robbing 
the  safe. 

The  two  looked  at  each  other  for  a  mo- 
ment in  silence,  and  then  Arthur  put  back 
the  package  of  greenbacks  he  had  been  on 
the  point  of  stowing  away  in  his  valise,  while 
Uncle  Bob  placed  the  lamp  on  the  table  and 
sat  down. 


THE  LISTENEE  IN  THE  GEOVE.  329 

"Arthur,  what  in  the  world  does  this 
mean  ?"  said  he,  sternly. 

"  It  means  that  if  you  hadn't  come  in  here 
just  as  you  did,  I  should  have  been  miles  on 
my  way  toward  Dixon  Springs  by  this  time 
to-morrow,"  replied  the  son,  rising  to  his 
feet  and  boldly  confronting  his  father. 

"And  did  you  intend  to  rob  me  ?" 

"  I  certainly  intended  to  take  some  of  this 
money  to  help  me  along,"  answered  Arthur, 
without  the  least  tremor  in  his  tones.  "  I 
asked  you  for  it  this  morning,  openly  and 
above  board,  and  you  wouldn't  let  me  have 
it,  saying,  as  an  excuse  for  your  refusal,  that 
you  were  '  afraid  that  the  herdsmen  would 
do  something  to  me  if  I  attempted  to  leave 
the  valley  so  soon  after  Bob's  disappearance.' ' 

"And  I  tell  you  so  now,"  said  his  father. 

"  Didn't  I  assure  you  that  I  was  willing  to 
take  all  the  risk  ?"  demanded  Arthur. 

"And  didn't  I  tell  you,  in  effect,  that  if 
you  would  only  be  governed  by  me  and  con- 
sent to  stay  here  until  this  thing  had  time  to 
blow  over,  it  would  then  be  perfectly  safe 
for  both  of  us  to  go  East  ?"  asked  his  father, 


330       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  EIVER  CANYON. 

in  reply.  "  I  am  as  anxious  to  see  the  last 
of  Arizona  as  you  are.  I  had  a  long  talk 
with  Mr.  Jacobs  about  it  yesterday,  and  de- 
cided to  employ  him  to  manage  the  ranch  for 
me,  while  you  and  I  would  go  back  to  Bol- 
ton  to  live.  I  should  have  told  you  about  it 
as  soon  as  I  came  home,  if  you  had  shown 
any  disposition  to  talk  to  me." 

"  Why  don't  you  go  at  once  ?"  growled 
Arthur. 

"  I  have  already  given  you  my  reason.  I 
think  I  ought  to  stay  here  for  a  few  months, 
at  least :  and  Mr.  Jacobs  thinks  so,  too." 

"  Well,  then,  won't  you  give  me  some 
money  and  let  me  go  ?" 

"  I  answered  that  question  yesterday," 
said  Uncle  Bob,  in  very  decided  tones. 
"  Have  you  got  any  money  in  that  valise  ? 
Then  put  it  back  where  it  belongs,  and  we 
will  go  back  to  bed." 

Knowing  that  his  hopeful  son  could  not  be 
trusted,  Uncle  Bob  took  the  precaution  to 
see  that  these  instructions  were  obeyed  to 
the  very  letter. 

He  took  his  stand  beside  the  open  valise, 


THE  LISTENER  IN  THE  GROVE.  331 

and  closely  watched  Arthur,  as  lie  took  the 
packages  out  of  it  and  piled  them  on  the 
shelf.  Then  he  closed  and  locked  the  safe 
and  took  possession  of  the  key,  telling  him- 
self the  while  that  Arthur  would  never  be 
able  to  get  his  hands  upon  it  again. 

The  two  did  not  speak  as  Uncle  Bob  took 
up  the  lamp  and  revolver  and  led  the  way  to 
their  room. 

He  did  not  appear  to  be  angry,  either;  but 
Arthur  was  almost  beside  himself  with  fury. 
He  was  more — he  was  desperate.  There  was 
still  one  plan  to  be  tried,  and,  if  that  failed, 
it  was  all  over  with  him  and  Uncle  Bob. 

"  Perhaps,  when  it  is  too  late,  he  will  wish 
he  had  let  me  have  that  money,"  thought 
Arthur,  as  he  tumbled  into  bed  and  turned 
his  face  to  the  wall.  "His  excuse  for  re- 
fusing me  is  a  very  flimsy  one.  He's  got 
Bob's  money,  and  I  believe  he  would  rather 
risk  his  life  than  lose  his  grip  on  a  single  dol- 
lar of  it." 

Arthur  slept  in  spite  of  the  exciting  scene 
through  which  he  had  passed,  but  his  slum- 
ber was  disturbed  with  frightful  dreams,  in 


332       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  EIVER  CANYON. 

which  the  angry  herdsmen  and  Bob  How- 
ard's broken  oar,  which,  in  some  mysterious 
way,  was  brought  forward  as  evidence  against 
him,  bore  prominent  parts. 

His  father  greeted  him  in  the  morning  as 
cordially  as  he  always  did,  but  Arthur  was  too 
angry  and  sulky  to  be  civil.  He  ate  but  little 
breakfast,  and  as  soon  as  he  arose  from  the 
table  he  went  to  the  grove  to  keep  his  ap- 
pointment with  Sam. 

He  would  have  been  glad  to  postpone  the 
interview  indefinitely,  but  he  was  afraid  to 
do  it.  He  believed  that  Sam  would  have 
something  to  say  to  his  father,  now,  and,  be- 
fore he  did  that,  Arthur  wanted  to  make  a 
few  suggestions. 

He  found  the  herdsman  in  the  grove,  wait- 
ing for  him.  It  is  probable  that  he  fully  ex- 
pected to  receive  the  money  he  had  demanded 
for  holding  his  tongue ;  for,  when  he  saw 
Arthur  approaching,  he  advanced  to  meet 
him,  at  the  same  time  extending  his  hand,  as 
if  he  thought  the  latter  was  going  to  put 
something  into  it. 

"  I  haven't  got  it,"  said  Arthur,  shortly. 


THE  LISTENER  IN  THE  GEOVE.  333 

Sam  scowled  fiercely,  and  looked  mad 
enough  to  do  almost  anything. 

"  I  can't  help  it,"  continued  Arthur,  "  I 
did  the  best  I  could  for  you.  I  asked  my 
father  for  it  yesterday,  as  I  told  you  I  would, 
but  he  wouldn't  give  it  to  me  ;  and  last  night 
I  tried  to  take  it  out  of  the  safe,  but  he  caught 
me  at  it." 

"  Whew  !"  whistled  Sam. 

"It's  a  fact,"  said  Arthur  earnestly.  "I've 
tried  every  plan  I  can  think  of,  and  can  do 
nothing  more." 

"  What  did  you  say  you  wanted  to  do  with 
the  money  ?" 

"  I  told  him  that  I  wanted  to  go  back  East, 
but  father  said  he  was  afraid  that  if  I  at- 
tempted to  leave  the  ranch  now,  I  would  get 
myself  into  trouble  with  the  herdsmen." 

"  Very  likely  you  would,"  replied  Sam,  in- 
differently. "  I  talked  with  some  of  them 
yesterday,  and,  although  they  don't  know 
that  you  had  any  hand  in  sawing  the  oars — " 

"And  I  didn't,  either,"  interrupted  Arthur. 
"  You  sawed  them  yourself,  and  I  never  knew 
a  thing  about  it." 


334       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  EIVER  CANYON. 

11  Look  here,  young  man,"  exclaimed  Sam, 
in  a  tone  of  voice  that  frightened  Arthur, 
"  you  needn't  try  to  throw  all  the  responsibility 
upon  my  shoulders,  for  I  won't  stand  it !  You 
are  just  as  much  to  blame  for  what  happened 
to  Bob  Howard  and  his  partner  as  I  am  !" 

" Didn't  you  propose  it?"  faltered  Arthur. 

"  Didn't  you  consent  to  it?"  retorted  Sam, 
looking  at  Arthur  so  savagely  that  the  latter 
dared  not  deny  the  accusation.  "  You  did ! 
and  if  the  boys  ever  find  it  out,  they  will 
make  things  hot  for  you,  I  tell  you." 

"  But  of  course  you  will  not  tell  them," 
implored  Arthur. 

"  If  I  can  get  my  five  thousand  dollars,  no. 
If  I  can't,  yes.  I  suppose  I  shall  have  to  talk 
to  the  old  man  now." 

"  I  don't  see  what  else  you  can  do,"  as- 
sented Arthur.  "  But  I  say,  Sam,  don't  men- 
tion my  name  to  him,  will  you  ?  Just  tell 
him  that  the  boys  suspect  that  he  knows  how 
Bob's  oar  was  broken,  and  that  will  frighten 
him  so  that  he  will  hand  the  money  over  to 
you  without  saying  a  word." 

"That's  worth  thinking  of,"  admitted  Sam. 


THE  LISTENER  IN  THE  GROVE.  335 

"If  you  want  money  to  keep  still  about 
this  thing,  that  is  the  only  way  to  get  it,"  de- 
clared Arthur.  "  I  can't  raise  it  for  you,  and 
that's  all  there  is  about  it.  I  have  tried  and 
failed." 

"  Well,  I  shan't  fail,"  said  Sam,  emphati- 
cally. "  If  I  do,  the  old  man  may  make  up 
his  mind  that  something  disagreeable  is  going 
to  happen.  I'll  sleep  on  what  you  have  told 
me,  and  perhaps  I  shall  be  down  again  to- 
morrow morning.  Good-by !" 

"  But,  Sam,  promise  that  you  will  not  even 
hint  that  I  know  how  Bob's  oar  was  broken," 
begged  Arthur. 

"All  right!"  answered  the  herdsman. 

But  he  did  not  give  the  promise.  The 
time  might  come,  he  told  himself,  when  the 
youth  would  be  of  use  to  him,  and  he  thought 
it  best  to  retain  a  hold  upon  him. 

"  I've  done  it,"  soliloquized  Arthur,  as  he 
once  more  began  his  aimless  wanderings 
about  the  grove,  "  and  now  we  shall  see  what 
will  come  of  it.  It  was  the  only  course  that 
was  left  open  to  me,  for  I  could  see  very 
plainly  that  Sam  is  fully  determined  to  make 


336       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  EIVER  CANYON. 

trouble,  unless  his  demands  are  complied  with. 
I  hope  he  will  frighten  father  so  badly  that 
he  will  pack  up  and  leave  for  Bolton  at  once." 

Arthur  was  so  deeply  engrossed  with  his 
meditations  that  he  did  not  hear  the  slight 
rustling  in  the  thicket  behind  him,  which  was 
made  by  a  man — an  unintentional  listener  to 
the  conversation  that  had  taken  place  between 
himself  and  Sam — as  he  arose  from  a  log  on 
which  he  had  been  sitting,  and  shook  both 
his  fists  in  the  air.  It  was  old  Ike,  the  cook. 

He  was  the  first  man  who  had  found  em- 
ployment on  the  ranch,  and,  like  the  rest  of 
the  hired  help,  he  thought  everything  of  Bob, 
and  looked  with  distrust  upon  those  who  had 
come  there  to  take  his  dead  father's  place. 

Leaving  an  assistant  to  attend  to  his  duties 
in  the  kitchen,  Ike  retreated  to  the  grove 
shortly  after  the  boat  went  into  the  canyon, 
and  he  had  been  there  ever  since.  He  liked 
to  be  there.  It  had  been  the  lost  boy's  favor- 
ite resort,  and,  while  he  was  hidden  among 
the  trees,  he  could  give  full  vent  to  his  sorrow, 
for  there  was  no  one  looking  on  to  accuse  him 
of  a  lack  of  manhood. 


THE  LISTENER  IN  THE  GROVE.  337 

Ike  peeped  cautiously  through  the  bushes 
to  see  where  Arthur  was,  and  then  he  shook 
his  fists  at  him,  and  moved  away  from  his 
place  of  concealment  with  long,  noiseless 
strides. 

He  walked  with  that  firm,  determined  step 
that  men  sometimes  adopt  when  they  have 
made  up  their  minds  to  do  something ;  but, 
when  he  reached  the  porch,  he  came  to  a  sud- 
den stop,  pulled  off  his  hat,  and  scratched  his 
head  vigorously. 

The  operation  must  have  put  new  ideas 
into  his  mind,  for  he  went  on  around  the 
house,  and  made  his  way  to  the  corral  in 
which  the  riding-horses  were  kept. 

Putting  a  saddle  and  bridle  on  the  first 
horse  he  caught,  he  forded  the  river  at  the 
place  where  the  lake  emptied  into  it,  and  as 
soon  as  he  reached  the  opposite  bank,  he 
started  on  a  gallop  for  Mr.  Evans'  ranch. 

"  So  that's  the  way  my  poor  Bob  come  to 
go  into  that  awful  hole,  is  it  ?"  said  Ike, 
speaking  in  a  loud  voice,  as  if  he  were  ad- 
dressing some  one  at  a  distance.  "  Sam  sawed 
the  oars  so  that  they  would  break  when  the 

22 


338       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  EIVEB  CANYON. 

boys  laid  out  their  strength  on  them — he  did 
it  because  he  knew  that  Bob  didn't  want  him 
on  the  ranch,  most  likely — and  that  scoun- 
drel, Arthur,  knew  all  about  it,  and  never 
said  a  word.  Of  course,  he  didn't,  for  he 
wanted  his  cousin's  money.  I  knew  them 
two  would  make  trouble  sooner  or  later,  but 
I  didn't  think  they  would  be  at  it  for  a  while 
yet." 

It  was  a  strange  and  startling  story  that 
Ike  had  to  tell  when  he  reached  Mr.  Evans' 
ranch. 

That  gentleman  listened  calmly,  and  the 
narrator  noticed  that  he  did  not  seem  to  be 
at  all  surprised  at  what  he  heard.  He,  too, 
had  been  expecting  trouble,  but  he  had  not 
looked  for  it  so  soon. 

"  When  I  saw  that  Bob's  oar  was  broken, 
I  told  Jacobs  that  I  would  give  anything  for 
a  chance  to  examine  it,"  said  Mr.  Evans, 
when  Ike  finished  his  story.  "  It  was  made 
on  purpose  to  stand  that  current,  and  I  knew 
the  boy  could  not  have  broken  it  unless  it 
had  been  tampered  with." 

"  Well,  them  are  the  facts  of  the  case,  Mr. 


THE  LISTENER  IN  THE  GROVE.  339 

Evans,  just  as  I  have  been  telling  'em  to 
you,"  said  Ike.  "  Will  you  come  down  and 
boss  the  hanging  ?" 

"  I  will  come  down  immediately  ;  but  there 
will  be  no  hanging — no  violence  whatever. 
Do  you  understand  me  ?"  replied  Mr.  Evans, 
quietly,  but  firmly. 

Old  Ike  was  profoundly  astonished. 

"  Do  you  mean  to  say  that  we  honest  men 
have  got  to  live  in  the  same  valley  with  them 
rascals  ?"  he  demanded,  fiercely.  "  I  won't 
do  it,  and  that's  flat !" 

"  I  don't  mean  to  say  anything  of  the  kind. 
Their  presence  will  not  trouble  you  after  to- 
day. Leave  everything  to  me,  and  don't  lisp 
one  word  to  any  of  the  boys  about  what  you 
heard  in  the  grove.  You  will  only  make 
trouble  if  you  do." 

Ike  was  too  angry  to  reply.  He  wheeled 
his  horse  and  rode  rapidly  away,  while  Mr. 
Evans  stood  gazing  after  him  with  a  face  that 
was  full  of  apprehension. 


340       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  EIVER  CANYON. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

A    HURRIED    FLIGHT. 

TTNCLE  BOB  sat  alone  in  his  office,  think- 
\J  ing  over  the  events  of  the  preceding 
night,  when,  all  of  a  sudden,  he  was  aroused 
from  his  reverie  by  the  sound  of  a  horse's 
hoofs,  and  looked  out  at  the  window  to  see 
Mr.  Evans  coming  toward  the  ranch  at  a 
furious  gallop. 

He  rode  up  to  the  porch,  turned  his  horse 
over  to  Ike,  who  was  there  to  receive  him, 
and,  after  saying  a  few  earnest  words  to  the 
man,  and  shaking  his  finger  at  him  warn- 
ingly,  he  came  into  the  hall,  and  entered  the 
office  without  ceremony. 

Uncle  Bob  was  astonished,  and  not  a  little 
alarmed  as  well.  There  was  an  expression 
on  his  visitor's  face  that  he  did  not  like  to  see 
there. 

"Mr.   Howard,"   said   the   newcomer,  de- 


A  HUEEIED  FLIGHT.  341 

positing  his  hat  on  the  table,  and  helping 
himself  to  a  chair,  "the  whole  thing  is  out 
on  you,  and  you  want  to  make  your  stay  in 
this  country  as  short  as  you  possibly  can." 

"  Bless  my  soul !"  cried  Uncle  Bob.  "  What 
do  you  mean  ?" 

Mr.  Evans  looked  sharply  into  the  man's 
face  before  he  made  any  reply.  He  must 
have  been  satisfied  with  what  he  saw  there, 
for  he  said  to  himself: 

"This  man  is  in  no  way  mixed  up  in  this 
dreadful  affair.  Arthur  and  Sam  are  at  the 
bottom  of  it,  but  he  will  have  to  go,  all  the 
same,  for  the  boys  never  can  be  made  to  be- 
lieve that  he  is  innocent."  Then,  aloud,  he 
continued,  "  It  is  my  unpleasant  duty  to  in- 
form you  that  Arthur  has  got  himself  into 
serious  trouble,  and  that  he  is  as  good  as 
lynched  already." 

Uncle  Bob's  face  grew  as  pale  as  death. 
He  sank  helplessly  back  in  his  chair,  and  his 
hands  fell  by  his  side. 

"  Not — not  my  Arthur?"  he  gasped. 

"  Yes,  your  son  Arthur,  the  very  boy  who 
tried  to  rob  that  safe  last  night." 


342       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  RIVER  CANYON. 

"  It's  false !"  cried  Uncle  Bob,  with  a  des- 
perate but  unsuccessful  attempt  to  look  indig- 
nant. "  My  son  never  tried  to  rob  my  safe." 

Mr.  Evans  smiled  incredulously. 

He  had  had  his  doubts  on  that  point,  but 
he  had  none  now.  Uncle  Bob's  face  told  him 
that  Ike's  story  was  all  true. 

"  He  has  confessed  in  the  hearing  of  one 
of  your  men  that  he  tried  to  steal  five  thou- 
sand dollars  to  shut  up  Sam's  mouth,"  said 
the  visitor. 

"  Who  is  Sam  ?"  Uncle  Bob  managed  to 
ask.  "  Now,  Mr.  Evans,  I  don't  understand 
you  at  all,  and  I  wish  you  would  be  more  ex- 
plicit. You  surely  do  not  mean  to  hint  that 
Arthur  had  anything  to  do  with  the  accident 
that  befell  his  cousin  ?" 

"It  was  no  accident,  Mr.  Howard,"  said 
the  visitor,  bluntly.  "  It  was  a  put-up  job, 
and  I  mean  to  say,  in  just  so  many  words, 
that  Arthur  knew  it  was  going  to  happen  be- 
fore it  did  happen.  Sam — I  don't  think 
there  is  any  one  on  the  ranch  who  knows 
what  his  other  name  is — used  to  be  one  of 
your  brother's  herdsmen.  He  was  discharged 


A  HUERIED  FLIGHT.  343 

for  cause,  and  ordered  never  to  show  himself 
in  the  valley  again  ;  but  on  the  day  you  ar- 
rived, he  came  back,  and  sought  employment. 
Managing  in  some  way  to  scrape  an  acquaint- 
ance with  Arthur,  he  proposed  a  plan  to  get 
rid  of  Bob,  and  your  son  consented  to  it.  Sam 
carried  out  that  plan  by  sawing  the  oars  that 
belonged  to  the  skiif,  so  that  they  would  break 
when  the  boys  tried  to  pull  up  out  of  the 
current." 

"  I  don't  believe  a  word  of  it,"  declared 
Uncle  Bob,  who,  during  this  long  explana- 
tion, had  managed  to  collect  a  few  of  his 
scattered  wits.  Then,  seeing  that  his  visi- 
tor's eye  began  to  sparkle  threateningly,  he 
hastened  to  add,  "I  beg  your  pardon,  Mr. 
Evans,  but  somebody  has  been  imposing  upon 
you  with  a  story  that  cannot  have  the  least 
foundation  in  fact.  According  to  your  own 
statement,  Arthur  took  no  active  part  in  this 
thing,  and  neither  did  he  have  any  hand  in 
sawing  the  oars — if,  indeed,  they  were  sawed 
at  all." 

"  But  he  was  an  accessory,"  said  Mr.  Evans, 
earnestly,  "  and  he  is  a  doomed  boy,  unless 


344       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  KIVER  CANYON. 

you  take  immediate  steps  to  protect  him. 
My  advice  to  you  would  be  to  see  him  with- 
out the  loss  of  a  moment.  You  will  probably 
find  him  in  the  grove — at  any  rate,  that  was 
the  place  where  he  held  his  interview  with 
Sam  this  morning." 

Uncle  Bob  thought  this  a  suggestion  that 
was  worth  acting  upon.  He  put  on  his  hat 
and  left  the  office,  while  Mr.  Evans  seated 
himself  in  front  of  the  window  and  watched 
him  as  he  hurried  toward  the  grove. 

Just  then  the  door  opened,  and  old  Ike 
thrust  his  head  into  the  room. 

"  Mr.  Evans/'  said  he,  in  a  cautious  whis- 
per, "  I  can't  keep  this  secret  in  much  longer. 
It's  growing  bigger  every  minute,  and  I  shall 
have  to  tell  it  pretty  soon,  or  bust !" 

"You  hold  your  tongue — that's  all  you 
have  to  do,"  said  Mr.  Evans,  sternly. 

"  But  what  will  the  boys  do  to  me,  when 
they  find  it  out  ?"  asked  Ike,  anxiously. 

"  The  boys  needn't  know  anything  about  it 
until  the  law  gets  ready  to  take  hold  of  Sam 
and  Arthur.  Mr.  Howard  is  entirely  innocent." 

Ike  was  both  astonished  and    disgusted — 


A  HURRIED  FLIGHT.  345 

astonished  to  learn  that  the  new  master  of 
the  ranch  was  in  no  way  responsible  for  the 
occurrences  of  the  preceding  day,  and  dis- 
gusted to  hear  that  the  guilty  ones  were  to  be 
punished  by  process  of  law. 

The  United  States  marshal,  who  would 
probably  take  the  matter  in  hand,  was  much 
too  slow  and  deliberate  in  his  movements  to 
suit  Ike,  and,  besides,  the  punishment  he  would 
inflict  upon  the  culprits  would  not  be  com- 
mensurate with  their  offence. 

Ike  lingered  a  moment,  as  if  he  wanted  to 
say  something  more,  and  then  disappeared, 
closing  the  door  softly  behind  him. 

Uncle  Bob  was  gone  a  long  time — so  long, 
in  fact,  that  Mr.  Evans  began  to  grow  anxious, 
and  even  alarmed.  He  did  not  at  all  like  the 
look  he  saw  in  Ike's  eye,  and  he  knew  that 
every  moment  was  of  the  utmost  value  to 
Arthur  and  his  father. 

To  his  great  relief,  Uncle  Bob  appeared  at 
last,  and  Mr.  Evans  noticed  that  when  he 
emerged  from  the  grove  he  was  mopping  his 
face  with  his  handkerchief,  and  that  he 
moved  with  very  unsteady  steps. 


346       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  EIVER  CANYON. 

He  staggered  into  the  office  and  threw  him- 
self into  his  chair  without  speaking.  There 
was  no  need  that  the  visitor  should  make  any 
inquiries,  for  his  appearance  and  actions  told 
in  plain  language  that  he  had  passed  through 
a  trying  ordeal  in  the  grove,  and  that,  during 
his  long  interview  with  Arthur,  he  had 
learned  some  startling  things. 

"  I  have  not  another  word  to  say,"  he  man- 
aged to  gasp,  at  length.  "  What  do  you  ad- 
vise me  to  do  ?" 

"  To  leave  the  valley  at  once — this  very 
hour,  and  put  yourself  and  Arthur  under  the 
protection  of  the  troops  at  Camp  Clark." 

"  Do  you  think  the  danger  as  great  as 
that  ?"  asked  Uncle  Bob,  who,  frightened  as 
he  was,  spoke  calmly. 

"  I  know  it,"  said  Mr.  Evans,  with  em- 
phasis. 

"  Do  you  think  the  herdsmen  will  allow  us 
to  leave  the  ranch  ?" 

"  We  must  take  our  chances  on  that ;  and 
it  is  now  or  never.  They  are  scattered  all 
over  the  valley  ;  but  a  great  many  of  them 
will  be  in  at  dark,  and  I  will  not  attempt  to 


A  HUEEIED  FLIGHT.  347 

say  what  the  consequences  will  be  if  they 
find  you  here.  I  will  act  as  your  guide,  and 
no  doubt  get  myself  into  trouble  by  doing  it. 
If  you  are  going  to  take  my  advice,  be  quick 
about  it.  If  you  are  not,  I  will  go  home." 

These  words  aroused  Uncle  Bob,  who 
jumped  up  and  put  his  hand  into  his  pocket, 
at  the  same  time  turning  toward  the  safe. 

"  I  will  order  two  horses  saddled  at  once," 
said  he. 

"  Give  no  orders  whatever/'  replied  Mr. 
Evans,  quickly,  "  unless  yon  want  to  arouse 
Ike's  suspicions.  Go  to  the  corral  and  get 
your  own  horses,  and  act  as  if  you  were 
going  to  ride  about  the  ranch." 

"  Well,  we  shall  need  some  money  to  help 
us  along,"  said  Uncle  Bob,  picking  up  a  pair 
of  saddle-bags  that  lay  on  the  table.  "  I 
suppose  I  have  a  right  to  take  what  is  in  the 
safe?  It's  mine,  isn't  it?" 

"  I  suppose  it  is,"  replied  Mr.  Evans. 

And,  although  Uncle  Bob  would  not  have 
confessed  the  fact,  even  to  himself,  the  tone 
in  which  the  words  were  spoken  removed  a 
heavy  burden  of  anxiety  from  his  mind. 


348       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  RIVEK  CANYON. 

Although  no  attempt  had  been  made  to 
assist  Bob  and  his  friend  after  their  boat 
went  into  the  canyon,  simply  because  every- 
body knew  it  would  be  useless,  Uncle  Bob 
had  been  constantly  haunted  by  the  fear  that 
the  boy  might  escape  death  in  some  miracu* 
lous  way,  and  come  back  to  rob  him  of  the 
millions  of  which  he  believed  himself  to  be 
the  owner. 

But  Mr.  Evans  did  not  seem  to  think  that 
such  a  thing  could  possibly  happen,  and  so 
Uncle  Bob  breathed  easier. 

"But  you  mustn't  take  those  things  with 
you,"  added  the  visitor,  as  Uncle  Bob  walked 
toward  the  safe  with  the  saddle-bags  in  his 
hand.  "  You  will  never  get  out  of  the  valley 
if  you  do.  Be  content  with  what  you  can 
carry  in  your  pockets,  and  leave  the  rest  here 
until  you  can  communicate  with  Mr.  Jacobs." 

Uncle  Bob  thought  it  best  to  act  upon  this 
suggestion ;  but,  after  he  had  stuffed  his 
pockets  as  full  of  greenbacks  as  they  could 
hold,  he  did  not  seem  to  have  made  any  im- 
pression upon  the  contents  of  the  safe.  It 
looked  as  full  as  ever;  and  the  greedy  old 


A  HURRIED  FLIGHT.  349 

man  could  not  bear  the  thought  of  leaving 
any  of  his  ill-gotten  wealth  behind. 

u  These  packages  are  so  large  that  I  can- 
not take  many  of  them  with  me,"  said  he, 
with  a  deep  sigh  of  regret.  "  Will  you  carry 
some  of  them  ?" 

"  I  wouldn't  touch  a  dollar  of  that  money," 
answered  Mr.  Evans,  adding,  mentally,  "I 
don't  see  how  you  can  do  it,  either." 

"  By-the-way,"  said  Uncle  Bob,  as  he 
locked  the  safe  and  put  the  key  in  one  of 
the  bookcases,  so  that  Mr.  Jacobs  could  find 
it  when  he  wrote  to  him  for  the  rest  of  the 
money,  "  you  spoke  about  acting  as  our  guide 
as  far  as  Camp  Clark.  Why  don't  you  show 
us  the  way  to  Dixon  Springs  while  you  are 
about  it  ?  I  want  to  go  back  to  the  States  as 
soon  as  I  can." 

"  Camp  Clark  is  about  eighty  miles  nearer, 
and  I  want  to  see  you  surrounded  by  the 
boys  in  blue  before  I  leave  you,"  replied  Mr. 
Evans.  "  They  are  the  only  ones  who  can 
save  you.  Now,  if  you  are  ready,  come  on 
and  act —  I  meant  to  have  told  you  yester- 
day that  we  never  think  of  shearing  our 


350       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  EIVEE  CANYON. 

sheep  on  our  ranches.  It  is  much  easier  and 
cheaper  to  drive  them  to  the  nearest  station 
and  shear  them  there,  than  it  would  be  .  to 
buy  or  hire  wagons  enough  to  haul  the  wool 
over  these  mountains.'7 

These  last  words  were  spoken  in  a  loud 
tone  of  voice,  and  were  intended  for  Ike's 
especial  benefit. 

As  Mr.  Evans  opened  the  door  rather  sud- 
denly, he  saw  that  worthy  but  suspicious  in- 
dividual beat  a  hasty  retreat  along  the  porch 
and  dive  into  the  kichen.  He  banged  the 
kettles  and  pans  about  for  a  moment  or  two, 
and  then  he  stopped  and  looked  out  at  the 
door, 

Mr.  Evans  and  Uncle  Bob  were  walking 
slowly  toward  the  corral,  stopping  now  and 
then  to  look  about  them.  They  did  not  act 
as  if  they  were  in  a  hurry,  but  Ike  was  not 
deceived. 

"  Mebbe  that  plan  will  work,  and  then 
again  mebbe  it  won't,"  said  the  latter,  shak- 
ing his  head  knowingly.  <(  Mr.  Evans  is 
pretty  smart,  but  there  is  them  in  the  world 
that  are  just  as  smart  as  he  is." 


A  HURRIED  FLIGHT.  351 

Having  put  saddles  and  bridles  on  three  of 
the  best  horses  they  could  find  in  the  corral, 
Mr.  Evans  and  his  companion  mounted  and 
rode  toward  the  grove,  Uncle  Bob  leading 
the  animal  that  was  intended  for  Arthur's  use. 

The  latter  was  on  the  lookout  for  them, 
for  his  father  had  told  him  that  Mr.  Evans 
advised  immediate  flight.  He  was  trembling 
all  over,  and  his  terror  made  him  so  weak 
that  he  could  hardly  mount  his  horse ;  but, 
with  his  father's  assistance,  he  managed  to 
get  into  the  saddle  at  last,  and  then  Mr. 
Evans  led  the  way  across  the  valley  toward 
the  road  that  ran  to  the  top  of  the  cliffs. 

"  Mebbe  that  plan  will  work,  and  mebbe  it 
won't.  The  fellows  who  sent  poor  Bob  down 
to  the  inside  of  the  earth  ain't  going  to  get 
off  as  easy  as  they  think  they  are.  Mr.  Evans 
is  gone  now,  and  I'll  tell  my  story  to  Mr.  Ja- 
cobs the  very  first  thing  I  do." 

The  speaker  was  old  Ike,  the  cook,  who, 
from  his  place  of  concealment  behind  one  of 
the  outbuildings,  saw  all  that  went  on  in  the 
grove.  He  knew  that  Mr.  Evans  intended 
to  lead  Arthur  and  his  father  to  a  place  of 


352       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  RIVER  CANYON". 

safety,  and  he  was  determined  to  prevent  it 
if  he  could. 

With  this  object  in  view,  he  turned  about 
and  ran  toward  the  corral  at  the  top  of  his 
speed. 


THE  MYSTERY  SOLVED.          353 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

THE    MYSTLflY    SOLVED. 

f  f  YTTHAT  is  it  George?"  asked  Bob  How- 
VV  ard,  turning  his  eyes  in  every  di- 
rection except  the  right  one.  "  I  don't  see 
anything  strange." 

Still  George  made  no  reply.  He  simply 
raised  his  hand  and  pointed  with  his  finger 
toward  the  middle  of  the  valley.  Bob  looked, 
and  then  his  own  eyes  began  to  open,  and  his 
pale  face  grew  still  paler. 

It  did  not  seem  to  him  that  his  nerves 
could  possibly  stand  another  test  just  then, 
all  unstrung  as  they  were  by  the  terrors  cf 
that  long  voyage  in  the  dark ;  but  now  he 
was  about  to  witness  an  exhibition  of  the 
wonderful  powers  of  nature  that  would  have 
made  the  heart  of  the  bravest  and  strongest 
man  beat  rapidly  with  excitement  and  appre- 
hension. 

23 


354       THE  MYSTEEY  OF  LOST  EIVER  CANYON. 

About  three  hundred  yards  from  the  spot 
on  which  he  and  his  frightened  companion 
stood,  was  something  that  looked  like  a  long, 
natural  ridge.  It  arose  to  the  height  of  thirty 
feet  or  more,  and  was  bare  of  vegetation.  Be- 
yond this  ridge,  extending  the  whole  length 
of  it,  and  gradually  rising  into  view  above 
the  top  of  it,  was  an  immense  body  of  water, 
which  was  broken  into  innumerable  cone- 
shaped  billows,  with  broad,  flat  bases,  and 
smooth,  round  tops. 

These  billows,  which  were  of  enormous  size, 
were  violently  agitated,  and,  although  they 
were  tossed  about  in  every  direction,  they  did 
not  change  their  positions,  lose  their  shape, 
nor  run  together,  each  one,  apparently,  being 
independent  of  its  neighbor,  and  owing  its  ex- 
istence to  a  different  power. 

Slowly  and  majestically  the  billows  grew 
in  size  and  height,  and  still  the  boys  gazed 
as  if  they  were  fascinated.  Suddenly,  there 
was  another  deafening  report,  which  made 
the  ground  tremble  beneath  them,  and  up 
from  the  midst  of  the  troubled  mass  arose  a 
single  column  of  water  about  as  large  around 


THE  MYSTERY  SOLVED.          355 

as  a  hogshead,  smooth  as  glass,  and  as  clear  as 
crystal,  and  shot  toward  the  clouds. 

It  went  up  to  an  almost  incredible  height, 
and  stood  as  motionless  as  if  it  were  carved 
out  of  stone.  Then,  the  power  which  created 
and  sustained  it  ceasing  to  act,  it  crumbled 
to  pieces,  like  a  column  of  sand,  and  fell 
back  among  the  billows,  which,  broken  by  its 
weight,  rolled  from  one  end  of  the  ridge  to 
the  other,  dashing  the  spray  high  in  the  air. 

This  continued  for  two  or  three  minutes, 
after  which  the  water  subsided  as  suddenly 
as  it  had  arisen,  its  disappearance  being  ac- 
companied by  a  low,  rumbling  noise,  which 
sounded  like  the  muttering  of  distant  thun- 
der, and  when  that  died  away  all  was  still. 

The  two  boys  drew  a  long  breath,  looked  at 
each  other  in  silence,  and  then  they  seated 
themselves  on  the  ground  again. 

"  Old  fellow/'  said  Bob,  who  was  the  first 
to  recover  his  power  of  speech,  "  we  have 
solved  the  mystery  of  Lost  River  Canyon. 
That's  a  geyser,  and  its  the  grandest  sight 
I  ever  saw.  I  have  been  through  the  Yel- 
lowstone Park  with  my  father — you  can  count 


356       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  EIVEE  CANYON. 

geysers  up  there  by  hundreds,  you  know — 
but  that  famed  place  can't  show  anything  to 
compare  with  this.  It  was  my  good  fortune 
to  see  all  the  big  ones  in  operation,  but  none 
of  them  equalled  this  in  grandeur,  although 
the  ' Giant'  beat  it  in  duration.  I  saw  it  play 
for  three  hours,  and  throw  a  column  of  water 
to  the  height  of  two  hundred  feet." 

"  Did  they  all  make  such  a  terrific  noise  as 
this  one  does?"  inquired  George. 

"Some  of  them  did,  and  some  didn't.  The 
'  Castle,'  which  not  unfrequently  plays  for 
an  hour  at  a  time,  and  sends  up  a  jet  of  water 
two  hundred  and  fifty  feet  high,  shakes  the 
ground  like  an  earthquake,  and  makes  a  noise 
louder  than  this  one.  When  it  gets  ready 
to  go  to  work,  it  begins  to  pulsate  and  throb 
at  the  rate  of  seventy  beats  a  minute,  which 
grow  stronger  and  stronger  all  the  while,  and 
finally  culminate  in  a  blast  that  is  almost 
deafening." 

"  Do  you  suppose  that  the  explosions  made 
by  this  geyser  during  its  eruptions  were  the 
sounds  we  used  to  hear  so  regularly  while  we 
were  at  the  ranch  ?" 


THE  MYSTERY  SOLVED.  357 

"  I  am  sure  of  it,  and,  in  order  to  test  the 
matter — Why,  George,  it  is  twelve  o'clock  !" 
exclaimed  Bob,  as  he  drew  his  watch  from  his 
pocket.  "What  time  was  it  when  we  started 
for  the  lake?  It  couldn't  have  been  much 
later  than  five  o'clock— could  it  ?  Then, 
we  must  have  been  in  that  dreadful  canyon 
almost  seven  hours.  It  didn't  seem  so  long 
to  me." 

"Well,  it  did  to  me!"  answered  George, 
with  a  shudder.  "  I  thought  we  were  never 
going  to  see  daylight  again." 

"  So  did  I,"  answered  Bob,  who  was  fast 
recovering  his  usual  spirits.  "  But  here  we 
are  safe  and  sound,  and  none  the  worse  for 
our  terrible  fright.  More  than  that,  we  have 
solved  the  mystery  which,  like  the  source  of 
the  Nile,  was  '  so  long  a  hidden  thing  to 
earth.' " 

"  And  our  discovery  will  die  with  us,"  said 
George,  looking  up  at  the  tall  cliffs  which 
surrounded  the  valley  on  all  sides.  "  We  shall 
be  prisoners  here  as  long  as  we  live." 

"  Not  by  a  great  sight,"  replied  Bob,  cheer- 
fully. "  We  may  not  get  out  this  week,  or 


358       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  EIVEE  CANYON. 

this  month,  but  we  shall  get  out — you  may 
depend  upon  that.  Now,  then,  let's  unload 
the  boat,  pitch  the  tent,  and  get  some  din- 


ner." 


"  I  don't  want  anything  to  eat,"  said 
George. 

"  Neither  do  I ;  but  I  thought  that  perhaps 
a  cup  of  coffee  and  a  sandwich  would  put  a 
little  life  and  strength  into  us.  Besides,  if 
we  keep  busy  at  something  we  shall  have  no 
time  to  think,  you  know." 

George  was  fully  sensible  of  that  fact,  and 
so,  when  he  saw  Bob  jump  to  his  feet  and 
start  toward  the  boat,  he  got  up  and  went 
with  him,  although  it  required  the  exercise  of 
all  the  will-power  he  possessed  to  enable  him 
to  do  it. 

His  courage  and  fortitude  had  never  before 
been  so  severely  tested,  and  if  he  had  been 
alone  he  would  probably  have  thrown  him- 
self down  upon  the  ground  and  abandoned 
himself  to  despair.  But  he  could  not  do  that 
while  his  companion  was  so  sanguine  and  full 
of  hope. 

He  lent  his  aid  in  pitching  the  tent  on  a 


THE  MYSTERY  SOLVED.          359 

little  natural  lawn,  a  short  distance  from  the 
river,  and  it  was  not  long  before  he  became 
so  interested  in  his  work,  and  in  listening  to 
Bob,  who  kept  up  an  almost  incessant  talk- 
ing, that  he  forgot  all  about  his  wild  ride 
through  the  canyon,  and  his  narrow  escape 
from  death. 

When  the  tent  had  been  put  up,  George 
lingered  to  tighten  the  guys,  while  Bob  went 
back  to  the  boat  again.  Presently,  he  called 
to  his  companion,  and  threw  something  out 
on  the  bank. 

"  Didn't  I  tell  you  that  we  were  the  vic- 
tims of  treachery?"  said  he.  "Just  take  a 
glance  at  the  stump  of  that  oar  and  tell  me 
what  you  think  about  it?" 

"  Who  did  it  ?"  said  George,  when  he  had 
examined  what  was  left  of  the  oar,  and  found 
the  marks  of  a  saw  upon  it. 

"You  tell/'  replied"  Bob.  "I  didn't  sup- 
pose I  had  an  enemy  on  the  ranch  ;  but  that 
proves  that  there  is  somebody  there  who 
wanted  me  to  go  into  that  canyon,  believing 
that  if  I  did,  I  would  never  get  out  alive. 
He  will  find  that  he  reckoned  without  his 


360       THE  MYSTEEY  OF  LOST  EIVER  CANYON. 

host,  will  he  not?  Put  it  away  in  some  safe 
place,  George.  We  must  take  it  home  with 
us,  even  if  we  have  to  leave  everything  else 
behind  us  in  order  to  carry  it  there.  Now 
perhaps  we  had  better  load  our  guns,  for  we 
don't  know  who  or  what  are  neighbors  are." 

"  What  do  you  mean  by  that? 

"  I  mean  that  there  must  be  wild  animals 
of  some  sort  in  the  valley,"  replied  Bob.  "  If 
they  know  how  to  get  in,  of  course  they 
know  how  to  get  out  again,  and  all  we've 
go  to  do  is  to  find  a  trail,  put  the  dogs  on  it, 
and  let  them  follow  it  up.  It  will  be  sure  to 
lead  to  some  gulch  or  canyon  that  we  can't 
see  from  here,  and,  by  using  that  as  a  high- 
way, we  shall  be  able  to  get  out." 

"  That's  the  very  idea,"  said  George,  stoop- 
ing down  to  caress  the  setters,  which  had 
taken  possession  of  the  blanket  their  thought- 
ful master  had  spread  upon  the  ground  for 
their  accommodation.  "  Do  you  know  I  had 
wholly  forgotten  that  we  had  brought  any 
dogs  with  us  ?" 

"  So  had  I.  I  was  so  taken  up  with  other 
matters  that  I  didn't  even  see  them  get  out 


THE  MYSTERY  SOLVED.          361 

of  the  boat,  nor  did  I  notice  how  they  be- 
haved during  that  eruption.  We  must  take 
the  best  of  care  of  them,  for  they  are  our 
sole  dependence  now.  You  thought  we 
couldn't  find  use  for  all  this  grub,  didn't 
you  ?"  added  Bob,  surveying  the  long  row  of 
well-filled  baskets  he  had  placed  upon  the 
bank.  "  We  may  go  hungry  yet  before  we 
see  home  again." 

"  How  far  off  do  you  suppose  it  is  ?" 

"  I  will  answer  that  question,  if  you  will 
tell  me  how  fast  our  boat  traveled  when  she 
was  shooting  through  the  canyon." 

"  She  went  like  a  flash  of  light,"  replied 
George. 

"  Well,  then,  seeing  that  light  travels  from 
the  sun  to  the  earth — a  distance  of  ninety- 
one  millions  of  miles — in  eight  minutes,  we 
must  have  passed  around  our  little  planet  a 
good  many  times  during  our  seven  hours' 
ride.  But,  for  all  that,  I  don't  think  we  are 
more  than  sixty  or  seventy  miles  from  home." 

"  That's  far  enough,"  said  George.  "  We 
shall  be  weary  and  footsore  before  we  get 
there,  I  tell  you." 


362        THE  MYSTEEY  OF  LOST  EIVER  CANYON. 

Having  loaded  their  guns  and  laid  them 
where  they  could  be  readily  seized  in  case  of 
emergency,  George  busied  himself  in  gather- 
ing a  supply  of  light-wood,  while  Bob  started 
a  fire  and  placed  a  kettle  of  water  upon  it. 

By  the  time  their  provisions  and  bedding 
were  under  cover,  the  water  was  boiling  and 
Bob  made  the  coffee,  while  George  unpacked 
one  of  the  baskets  and  spread  its  contents 
upon  a  snow-white  napkin  in  front  of  the 
tent.  He  said  he  wasn't  hungry ;  but  his 
actions  told  a  different  story,  and  so  did  Bob's. 

"Now,  then,"  said  the  latter,  when  the  last 
sandwich  had  disappeared  and  the  coffee  pot 
had  been  squeezed  dry,  "  we'll  clear  away  the 
wreck  and  take  a  survey  of  that  geyser." 

"  I  believe  I  am  as  close  to  it  now  as  I  care 
to  be,"  replied  George.  "The  old  thing 
might  boil  over  on  us." 

Bob  laughed,  heartily. 

"  There's  no  danger,"  said  he.  "  We  have 
a  whole  hour  in  which  to  make  our  observa- 
tions. Since  we  are  here  and  can't  get  away 
to-day,  let's  see  everything  that  we  can  that 
is  worth  looking  at." 


THE  MYSTEKY  SOLVED.          363 

George  lent  willing  and  effective  aid  in 
"  clearing  away  the  wreck ;"  but  it  was  with 
a  good  deal  of  reluctance  that  he  shouldered 
his  gun  and  followed  Bob  through  the  mes- 
quite  bushes  toward  the  geyser. 

He  stopped  when  he  reached  the  ridge, 
but  Bob  fearlessly  made  his  way  to  the  top 
and  looked  over  it. 

"  Great  Scott !"  were  the  first  words  that 
escaped  his  lips.  "  Come  up  here,  George. 
This  mound  is  a  silicious  deposit,  which  has 
been  thrown  up  by  the  spring,  and  it  is  as 
solid  as  rock." 

"  It  ought  to  be,"  replied  George,  "  for  it  is 
flint" 

"Then  what  are  you  afraid  of?" 

Bob's  companion  would  have  found  it  hard 
work  to  answer  this  question,  for  he  did  not 
know  just  what  he  was  afraid  of. 

Laying  his  rifle  on  the  ground,  he  climbed 
to  the  summit  of  the  ridge,  and  saw  below 
him  an  extensive,  oval-shaped  basin,  partly 
filled  with  water,  which  was  so  clear  that  the 
smallest  pebbles  on  the  bottom  could  be 
plainly  seen. 


364       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  EIVEE  CANYON. 

Its  surface  was  as  smooth  as  a  mirror,  and 
there  was  nothing  in  or  about  the  basin  to 
tell  of  the  terrible  commotion  that  had  taken 
place  there  a  short  time  before. 

"  This  bangs  the  great  geyser  of  Iceland," 
said  Bob.  "  That  famous  spring,  in  its  calm 
periods,  appears  to  be  a  circular  basin  about 
seventy-two  feet  in  diameter  and  four  feet 
deep ;  but  this  one  is  two  or  three  hundred 
feet  wide,  and  the  water  must  be  twenty  feet 
deep.  Do  you  see  those  little  holes,  about  a 
foot  in  diameter,  that  are  scattered  all  over 
the  bottom?  There  is  where  the  stream 
comes  from  that  raises  these  round-topped 
waves,  while  the  power  that  threw  that  huge 
column  of  water  so  high  in  the  air  must  have 
come  from  somewhere  over  there,"  added  Bob, 
jerking  a  piece  of  flint  as  far  as  he  could 
toward  the  centre  of  the  basin.  "  I  wish  I 
had  pluck  enough  to  put  my  skiff  in  here  and 
take  a  better  look  at  it." 

"  Good  gracious !"  exclaimed  George,  back- 
ing down  the  mound.  "  If  you  do  that,  you 
will  have  to  go  alone." 

"  Why,  such  things  have  been  done,"  said 


TlIK    GKYSER    HOLE. 


THE  MYSTERY  SOLVED.  365 

Bob.  "  The  shaft  of  that  Iceland  geyser  has 
been  measured,  and  found  to  be  nine  feet  in 
diameter  and  seventy  feet  deep." 

Bob  took  another  long  look  at  the  yawning 
gulf  below  him,  and  then  crawled  down  the 
ridge  and  joined  his  companion.  He  picked 
up  his  gun,  and  was  about  to  say  something 
more  to  him,  when  he  noticed  that  one  of  the 
setters  had  come  to  a  point,  and  that  the  other 
was  backing  him  beautifully. 

"A  flock  of  quails  for  a  dollar !"  said  Bob. 
"  Now  look  sharp.  It  is  almost  impossible 
to  flush  them,  and  so  you  will  have  to  shoot 
them  running." 

As  Bob  ceased  speaking,  his  gun  spoke 
twice  in  rapid  succession.  No  birds  arose  at 
the  reports,  but  a  couple  of  mule  deer,  which 
had  been  enjoying  their  mid- day  nap  in  a 
thicket  not  more  than  twenty  yards  away, 
broke  cover,  and  set  off  toward  the  farther 
end  of  the  valley  at  the  top  of  their  speed. 

"  Don't  shoot !"  cried  Bob,  as  George's 
light  double-barrel  arose  to  his  shoulder. 
"You'll  only  wound  them,  and,  besides,  we 
want  them  to  show  us  the  way  out." 


366       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  EIVEE  CANYON. 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

IN   THE   MOUNTAINS. 

EEK  dead  !"  commanded  Bob  ;  where- 
upon  the  setters  began  beating  the 
bushes  to  find  the  two  birds  that  had  fallen 
to  their  master's  gun. 

"Didn't  I  tell  you  that  there  were  wild 
animals  in  this  valley?  The  presence  of 
those  black-tails  proves  that  there  must  be 
some  way  of  communication  with  the  outer 
world,  and  if  we  are  smart  enough  to  find  it, 
we  are  all  right." 

"They  have  found  another  flock,"  said 
George,  who  was  closely  watching  the  move- 
ments of  the  setters. 

"  They  are  pointing  the  dead  birds  now," 
was  the  reply.  "  Fetch  1" 

In  obedience  to  this  command,  each  of.  the 
dogs  seized  a  bird  and  deposited  it  in  Bob's 
outstretched  hand. 


IN  THE  MOUNTAINS.  367 

"Some  folks  call  them  Gambel's  par- 
tridges," said  the  latter,  as  he  handed  one  of 
the  birds  to  George  for  examination  ;  "  but 
those  who  are  better  posted  in  natural  history 
call  them  Arizona  quails.  Now,  you  carry 
the  guns,  and  I  will  look  out  for  the  dogs." 

So  saying,  Bob  drew  a  couple  of  light 
chains  from  his  game-bag,  and,  after  fastening 
them  to  the  collars  the  setters  wore  around 
their  necks,  he  led  them  to  the  thicket  in 
which  the  deer  had  been  concealed,  and  put 
them  on  the  trail. 

The  intelligent  animals,  which  seemed  to 
know  just  what  was  expected  of  them,  took 
it  up  readily,  and  would  have  followed  it  at 
a  keen  run  if  they  had  not  been  held  in  check 
by  the  chains.  They  did  not  give  tongue, 
but  kept  at  their  work  in  silence,  and  at  the 
end  of  two  hours  brought  the  boys  to  the 
mouth  of  a  densely-wooded  ravine  which  ran 
back  into  the  mountains. 

During  this  time  the  geyser  had  been  at 
work  again,  its  approaching  period  of  activ- 
ity being  heralded  by  the  quaking  of  the 
ground  and  the  same  terrific  explosion  that 


368       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  EIVER  CANYON. 

had  frightened  them  so  badly  three  hours  be- 
fore. 

The  boys  could  not  see  it  as  plainly  as  they 
did  before,  because  they  were  much  further 
away  from  it,  and  there  were  too  many  bushes 
in  the  way ;  but  they  had  a  better  view  of  the 
column  that  shot  up  from  the  basin,  and  they 
saw  that,  instead  of  being  round  like  a  hogs- 
head, it  was  very  broad  and  flat.  When  it 
crumbled  to  pieces  and  fell  back  into  the 
basin,  the  sight  was  grand  and  awe-inspiring. 

"What's  that?"  asked  George,  suddenly 
facing  about  and  looking  toward  the  ravine. 

"  That  was  the  echo,"  replied  Bob,  "  and 
it  is  probably  what  we  heard  while  we  were 
at  home.  Of  course,  I  am  not  positive  on 
that  point,  and  I  don't  suppose  it  will  be  set- 
tled until  some  scientific  men  have  been  here 
to  look  into  the  matter.  That  shaft  in  the 
middle  of  the  basin  must  be  a  frightful  place 
to  look  at,"  added  Bob,  at  the  same  time  tell- 
ing himself  that  he  had  half  a  mind  to  say 
that  he  would  not  leave  the  valley  until  he 
had  paddled  over  that  same  shaft  and  dropped 
a  line  into  it  to  see  how  deep  it  was. 


IN  THE  MOUNTAINS.  369 

Bob  was  an  enthusiast,  and  if  he  had  had 
a  companion  who  was  at  all  like  himself,  he 
would  have  known  more  about  that  geyser 
before  he  left  it. 

He  was  formed  of  the  same  sort  of  material 
that  those  daring  travelers  and  explorers  who 
have  done  so  much  to  add  to  the  knowledge 
of  the  world  are  made  of. 

He  would  have  been  one  of  the  first  to 
climb  the  Matterhorn  without  a  guide ;  to 
enter  a  newly -discovered  cave ;  to  go  up  in  a 
balloon  or  down  into  a  coal  mine  ;  to  plunge 
into  the  depths  of  some  unknown  wilderness 
— in  short,  he  was  ready  to  undertake  almost 
anything  that  was  exciting  or  dangerous,  but 
he  wanted  backing. 

"  Now  I  will  mark  this  ravine  so  that  we 
can  find  it  again,  and,  bright  and  early  to- 
morrow morning,  we  will  begin  our  home- 
ward journey/'  said  Bob,  adding,  when  he 
saw  the  look  of  delight  on  George's  face, 
"  Don't  shout  until  you  are  out  of  the  woods, 
old  fellow.  We  have  a  long  and  tedious  jour- 
ney before  us ;  but  you  can't  realize  the  diffi- 
culties of  it,  because  you  have  never  lived 

24 


370       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  KIVEK  CANYON. 

among  the  mountains.  This  ravine  looks  as 
though  it  might  take  us  somewhere,  but  it 
may  lead  us  slap  into  a  pocket." 

"  What's  a  pocket  ?"  asked  George. 

"  It's  a  place  in  the  mountains  that  you  can't 
get  out  of  except  by  the  way  you  came  in.  If 
this  valley  was  walled  in  as  solidly  as  we  thought 
it  was,  it  would  be  a  pocket,  and  a  bad  one, 
too ;  for  we  could  not  possibly  get  out  of  it." 

Bob  then  went  on  to  explain  that  a  moun- 
tain stream  is  like  a  tree  pressed  flat,  the  only 
difference  being  that  the  branches  do  not 
cross  one  another.  The  tributaries  are  the 
branches,  each  one  being  a  perfect  tree  in 
itself  and  leading  to  the  parent  stem. 

It  was  perfectly  safe,  he  said,  for  a  tender- 
foot to  leave  his  camp  alone  and  hunt  up 
stream,  so  long  as  he  did  not  cross  any  of  the 
"divides"  he  found  in  his  way;  but  if  he 
went  down  the  stream,  the  chances  were  that 
he  would  get  lost  when  he  tried  to  find  his 
way  back,  for  he  would  be  almost  sure  to 
turn  up  one  of  the  tributaries  instead  of  fol- 
lowing the  main  current.  If  he  crossed  a 
"  divide,"  and  got  into  another  system  of 


IN  THE  MOUNTAINS.  871 

ravine,  lie  might  wander  about  for  weeks, 
and  starve  to  death  at  last. 

While  Bob  was  speaking,  he  took  the 
chains  off  the  dogs,  and  marked  the  ravine 
by  breaking  a  branch  off  an  evergreen  and 
leaving  it  hanging  by  the  bark. 

Then  he  and  George  went  back  to  camp 
shooting  three  quails  on  the  way,  which, 
added  to  the  two  Bob  had  in  his  game-bag, 
made  an  excellent  supper  for  them. 

They  sought  their  blankets  at  dark  and  en- 
joyed a  good  night's  rest,  in  spite  of  the  fact 
that  the  geyser  awoke  them  regularly  every 
three  hours  by  the  discharges  of  its  subter- 
ranean artillery. 

After  they  had  eaten  breakfast,  which  was 
served  up  at  daylight,  Bob,  who  had  bestowed 
no  little  thought  upon  the  matter,  proceeded 
to  select  the  articles  they  were  to  take  with 
them  on  their  journey. 

He  filled  his  double  cartridge-belt  with  ball 
and  shot  cases;  saw  that  George's  powder- 
horn  and  bullet- pouch  were  well  supplied,  and 
put  into  his  game-bag  all  their  lines  and  hooks. 

As  much  of  their  provisions  as  they  could 


372       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  RIVER  CANYON. 

conveniently  wrap  up  in  their  blankets  were 
next  laid  aside  ;  but  these  bundles  were  made 
very  light,  for  Bob  knew  that  before  they  had 
spent  two  days  among  the  ravines,  the  weight 
of  their  packs  would  begin  to  tell  upon  their 
progress. 

The  next  thing  was  to  take  care  of  the  nu- 
merous articles  they  were  compelled  to  leave 
behind  them.  They  might  not  succeed  in  work- 
ing their  way  out  the  first  time  trying,  and  if 
they  were  obliged  to  return  to  the  valley  to 
take  a  rest  and  make  a  new  start,  they  wanted 
some  supplies  to  fall  back  on. 

The  rest  of  the  provisions  were  wrapped  up 
in  a  blanket  and  hoisted  into  the  branches  of 
a  sapling ;  the  tent  was  taken  down  and  con- 
cealed in  a  thi  ?ket  where  it  would  be  some- 
what protected  from  the  elements ;  the  skiff 
which  had  carried  them  safely  through  the 
canyon  was  hauled  out  on  the  bank  and 
turned  bottom  up,  and  the  little  fowling-piece 
and  the  ammunition-box  which  contained  the 
rest  of  their  cartridges  were  wrapped  in  a 
rubber  poncho  with  their  fishing-rod,  and  hid- 
den under  a  log. 


IN  THE  MOUNTAINS.  373 

When  all  this  work  had  been  done,  Bob  fast- 
ened the  coffee-pot  to  his  belt,  tied  the  stump 
of  his  oar  to  his  pack,  and  led  the  way  toward 
the  ravine,  the  geyser  favoring  them  with  one 
of  its  grandest  eruptions  by  way  of  a  "send  off." 

It  would  take  a  story  longer  than  this  to  de- 
scribe all  the  incidents  of  the  journey  that  was 
begun  that  morning,  and  which  continued  for 
three  long,  weary  weeks. 

Such  trials  and  privations,  such  severe  tests 
of  their  endurance  and  fortitude,  they  had 
never  known  before. 

Bob  was  experienced  in  mountain  travel, 
and  he  knew  as  much,  in  a  general  way,  re- 
garding ravines  and  "  divides "  as  the  men 
with  whom  he  had  hunted  could  tell  him ; 
but  he  often  found  himself  at  fault. 

After  stumbling  over  rocks  and  logs  all  day 
long,  it  was  certainly  discouraging  to  find  them- 
selves in  a  "  pocket  "  at  night — to  ascertain 
that  the  stream  they  had  been  following  had 
its  source  in  a  little  glen  which  was  hemmed 
in  on  all  sides  by  rocks  so  precipitous  that  a 
big-horn  could  not  have  scaled  them. 

Bob    traveled    entirely  by    the    sun,   and 


374        TEE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  RIVER  CANYON. 

tried  hard  to  keep  the  points  of  the  compass 
in  his  mind ;  but  when  George  began  to 
affirm  with  vehemence  that  was  not  natural 
to  him  that  the  sun  had  fallen  into  a  habit 
of  rising  in  the  north,  he  lost  faith  in  himself, 
and  his  courage  all  left  him. 

For  a  while,  George  bore  up  manfully.  He 
was  cheerful  and  confident,  and  ready  to  fol- 
low as  long  as  Bob  was  willing  to  lead ;  but 
when  the  last  morsel  of  their  provisions  was 
gone,  and  they  saw  their  supply  of  ammuni- 
tion growing  smaller,  and  they  were  obliged 
to  go  supperless  to  bed,  in  spite  of  all  their 
efforts  to  secure  some  of  the  mountain  sheep 
that  occasionally  showed  themselves  on  the 
cliffs  far  above  their  heads,  and  their  boots 
and  clothing  began  to  show  unmistakable 
signs  of  the  rough  treatment  they  were  re- 
ceiving, and  the  ravines  all  the  while  grew 
darker  and  gloomier,  and  the  "pockets"  be- 
came more  numerous — then  things  began  to 
look  serious  indeed,  and  George  to  show  the 
first  symptoms  of  what  frontiersmen  call 
"plains  insanity  " — that  is,  an  uncontrollable 
desire  to  "  keep  moving." 


IN  THE  MOUNTAINS.  375 

While  Bob  insisted  on  deliberation  and  the 
exercise  of  extreme  caution,  and  used  his  best 
endeavors  to  keep  his  own  thoughts  and  his 
companion's  from  dwelling  upon  their  almost 
hopeless  condition,  George  wanted  to  rush 
ahead ;  he  didn't  care  where  he  went,  so  long 
as  he  was  in  motion.  He  could  not  bear  to 
sit  down  for  a  moment. 

These  alarming  symptoms  increased  every 
day,  and  finally  things  came  to  such  a  pass 
that  Bob  could  not  induce  his  companion  to 
stop  for  the  night,  until  he  had  threatened 
to  tie  him  hand  and  foot.  It  was  a  necessary 
precaution,  but  he  neglected  it  too  long.  One 
morning  he  awoke  from  a  troubled  slumber, 
and  started  up  in  his  blanket  to  find  that 
George  was  missing. 


376       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  RIVER  CANYON. 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

"ALL'S  WELL  THAT  ENDS  WELL." 

BOB  became  terribly  excited  and  fright- 
ened when  he  found  that  his  companion 
was  gone,  for  he  knew  very  well  what  it  meant, 
and  what  it  was  likely  to  lead  to.  He  did  not 
believe  that  he  could  follow  his  trail  and  over- 
take him,  and  even  if  he  did,  it  was  not  at  all 
probable  that  he  would  be  able  to  manage  the 
insane  runaway. 

He  was  experienced  enough  to  know  that 
being  lost,  or  even  "turned  around,"  in  an 
unknown  wilderness,  has  an  effect  upon  some 
minds  that  is  simply  appalling.  In  the  lan- 
guage of  one  who  has  passed  through  such 
an  ordeal,  and  who  earnestly  prays  that  he 
may  never  be  called  upon  to  pass  through 
another : 

"  Everything  seems  changed  and  unnatural. 


"ALL'S  WELL  THAT  ENDS  WELL."  37? 

The  most  ordinary  events  appear  to  possess  an 
unusual  significance.  The  nerves  become  un- 
strung, and  the  man  soon  loses  control  of  him- 
self entirely.  I  have  been  told  of  two  in- 
stances where  lost  men  when  found  and  ap- 
proached by  parties  sent  in  search  of  them, 
made  off  in  the  greatest  terror,  escaping  by 
almost  superhuman  efforts  from  their  friends, 
to  die  of  starvation  in  the  mountains." 

It  was  no  wonder  that  Bob  became  alarmed 
when  he  thought  of  these  things,  or  that  it 
was  only  by  a  great  effort  of  will  that  he  kept 
control  of  his  own  mind. 

"  Poor  George  is  as  crazy  as  a  loon/'  cried 
Bob,  jumping  to  his  feet,  and  bundling  up 
both  the  blankets,  preparatory  to  setting  out 
in  pursuit  of  his  friend.  "  I  haven't  any  too 
much  sense  myself,  but  I'll  not  desert  him  so 
long  as  I  have  the  strength  to  follow  his  trail. 
Here,  fellows,"  he  added,  holding  out  to  each 
of  the  setters  in  turn  the  boots  that  George 
had  left  behind  in  his  hurried  flight.  "  Take 
a  sniff  at  these,  and  then  hunt  him  up." 

As  Bob  said  this  he  ran  his  hand  along  the 
ground,  and  waved  it  toward  the  "  divide  "  in 


378       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  KIVER  CANYON. 

front  of  liim.  He  knew  bis  friend  had  gone 
that  way,  for  he  could  see  the  prints  of  his 
feet  in  the  soft  earth.  He  hardly  expected 
that  the  dogs  would  obey  him,  for  they  had 
never  been  called  upon  to  do  such  a  thing 
before.  Besides,  the  faithful  animals  had 
been  but  scantily  fed  during  the  last  few  days, 
and  they  were  in  no  condition  for  work.  But 
they  took  up  the  trail,  nevertheless,  and  fol- 
lowed it  straight  to  the  "  divide,'7  up  which 
they  scrambled  as  rapidly  as  their  strength 
would  permit,  Bob  keeping  close  at  their 
heels. 

When  he  reached  the  top  he  was  all  out  of 
breath,  and  had  to  stop  and  sit  down ;  but  the 
dogs  began  the  descent  at  once,  and  soon  were 
out  of  sight  in  the  bushes.  Five  minutes 
later  they  gave  tongue  joyously,  and  their 
loud  yelps  were  mingled  with  another  sound, 
which  made  Bob  tremble,  and  wonder  if  his 
own  mind  were  not  wandering.  It  was  a 
human  voice.  He  was  sure  of  it ;  but  yet  he 
could  not  make  himself  believe  that  he  was 
not  mistaken,  for  it  sounded  so  strange  and 
unreal.  He  could  not  catch  the  first  words  it 


"ALL'S  WELL  THAT  ENDS  WELL."  379 

uttered,  but  presently  he  heard  it  say,  in 
strong,  cheery  tones : 

"Them  must  be  his  huntin'  dogs.  Poor 
things,  they  look  to  be  pretty  nigh  tuckered 
out.  Let's  put  'em  into  the  wagon  with  their 
master." 

"  Who-whoop  I"  shouted  Bob. 

He  put  all  his  remaining  strength  into  that 
shout,  but  his  voice  was  as  weak  as  his  body, 
and  he  hardly  expected  that  it  would  reach 
the  ears  of  the  men  below  him.  It  did,  how- 
ever, and,  after  a  moment  or  two  of  silence 
and  suspense,  an  answering  shout  came  back 
to  him. 

"  Hold  on  a  minute,  please !"  cried  Bob. 
"  I  need  assistance !" 

He  staggered  to  his  feet  and  stumbled  down 
the  "  divide."  It  seemed  to  him  that  he  never 
would  reach  the  bottom — at  least,  alive,  for 
now  and  then  his  strength  would  all  leave 
him,  and  he  would  go  rolling  down  the  steep 
declivity,  until  he  was  stopped  by  some  log, 
rock  or  thicket  of  bushes.  It  was  in  this  way 
that  he  made  his  appearance  among  the  men 
who  were  waiting  for  him —  falling  headlong 


380       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  EIVEE  CANYON. 

through  the  willows  that  lined  the  base  of  the 
hill,  and  landing  in  the  road  all  in  a  heap. 
They  hastened  to  pick  him  up;  but  when 
they  had  taken  one  look  at  his  face,  they 
dropped  him  as  if  he  had  been  a  coal  of  fire. 

"  It's  Bob  Howard  !"  gasped  one. 

"  Or  his  ghost/'  said  another. 

"  I  am  no  ghost,  boys,"  was  the  faint  reply. 
"  I  am  Bob  Howard — or  all  there  is  left  of 
him.  I  went  down  Lost  River  Canyon  ever 
so  long  ago,  and  I  have  just  got  out." 

The  men  waited  to  hear  no  more.  They 
rushed  forward  in  a  body  to  help  him — there 
were  a  dozen  of  them  in  all — and  while  one 
took  his  gun,  to  which  he  had  held  fast  in 
spite  of  his  hurried  descent  of  the  hill,  and 
another  put  a  canteen  of  water  to  his  lips, 
Bob  looked  around  and  saw  that  he  was 
among  friends.  He  had  stumbled  upon  a 
party  of  Mr.  Evans'  teamsters,  and  he  knew 
every  one  of  them. 

"  My  king !"  exclaimed  the  grizzly  old 
mule-driver,  pulling  off  his  hat,  and  drawing 
his  shirt  sleeve  across  his  forehead.  "  This 
beats  my  time  all  holler !  It  is  Bob  Howard, 


"ALL'S  WELL  THAT  ENDS  WELL."  381 

ain't  it  ?  An'  he  ain't  all  smashed  to  pieces, 
nuther,  like  we  thought  he  was.  I  say,  Bob," 
he  added,  nodding  his  head  toward  one  of  the 
wagons,  "  is  that  crazy  feller  we  lassoed  just 
now  the  boy  who  went  into  the  canyon  with 
you?" 

"  Don't  make  him  talk,"  said  the  wagon- 
master.  "  Hold  him  up,  some  of  you,  while 
I  fix  a  place  for  him." 

The  wagon-master  worked  with  a  will,  and 
in  a  few  minutes  strong  hands  raised  the  ex- 
hausted boy  tenderly  from  the  ground  and 
placed  him  upon  a  comfortable  bed. 

When  this  happened  it  was  broad  daylight, 
tut  when  Bob  came  to  himself  again  it  was 
pitch  dark.  He  had  slept  all  day.  At  first 
he  did  not  know  where  he  was,  but  after  he 
had  gotten  his  wits  together  he  became  aware 
that  the  light  of  a  camp-fire  was  shining 
through  the  canvas  cover  of  the  wagon,  and 
that  the  odor  of  boiling  coffee  filled  the 
air. 

After  a  few  attempts  to  get  upon  his  hands 
and  knees,  he  managed  to  crawl  to  the  for- 
ward end  of  the  wagon  and  look  out.  The 


382       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  RIVER  CANYON. 

teamsters  were  seated  around  a  cheerful  blaze, 
eating  supper. 

"  Any  of  that  coffee  for  me  ?"  asked  Bob. 

The  men  made  no  reply  in  words.  Two  of 
them  arose  to  their  feet,  helped  Bob  out  of 
the  wagon,  and  to  a  seat  by  the  fire,  and  a 
quart  cup,  filled  to  the  brim  with  the  refresh- 
ing beverage,  was  placed  in  his  hands. 

"That  makes  me  feel  better,"  said  Bob, 
after  he  had  taken  a  long  and  hearty  drink. 

"  Well,  then,  if  you're  all  right,  mebbe  you 
can  tell  us  something  about  that  canyon  ?" 
suggested  the  wagon-master. 

"  Did  you  see  the  giant  ?"  asked  several  of 
the  men,  in  concert. 

"No,  I  didn't  see  the  giant;  but  I  know 
what  it  is  that  makes  that  noise  we  hear  so 
regularly,"  replied  Bob.  "It  is  the  echo, 
awakened  by  the  eruptions  of  the  biggest  hot 
spring  I  ever  saw  or  heard  of.  But,  before  I 
tell  my  story,  I  want  to  ask  you  a  question. 
Didn't  you  say  something  about  a  crazy  fel- 
low this  morning  ?" 

"I  should  say  so!"  exclaimed  the  wagon- 
master.  "  Me  an'  the  boys  was  drivin'  along 


"  ALL'S  WELL  THAT  ENDS  WELL."  383 

the  road,  thinkin'  of  nothing,  when,  all  to 
onct,  a  chap,  with  ragged  clothes  an'  streamin' 
hair,  come  rushin'  out  of  the  willows.  He 
tuk  just  one  look  at  us,  an'  then  he  streaked 
it  acrost  the  plains,  as  if  all  the  wolves  of 
Arizony  was  clost  to  his  heels.  In  course  we 
didn't  know  who  he  was,  but  we  seed  in  a 
minute  what  was  the  matter  of  him.  Some 
of  the  boys  who  think  themselves  jist  a  trifle 
swifter  nor  lightnin',  tuk  arter  him  on  foot, 
but  they  might  jist  as  well  have  tried  to  catch 
the  wind.  The  feller  run  like  a  deer.  Then 
four  of  us  tuk  a  mule  apiece  outen  the  har- 
ness, an'  lit  out  arter  him,  and  finally  Jaspar 
thar  tripped  him  up  with  a  lariat.  But  he  fit 
like  a  tiger,  an'  it  tuk  all  four  of  us  to  hold 
him." 

"  Where  is  he  now  ?"  inquired  Bob. 

"  In  that  wagon,  fast  asleep." 

"  You  don't  think  that  anything  serious 
will  come  of  it,  do  you  ?" 

"  That's  hard  to  tell.  While  I  was  post- 
hunter  at  Camp  Clark,  I  was  sent  out  with  a 
party  to  look  for  a  soldier  who  had  got  lost. 
When  we  found  him  he  tuk  to  a  tree,  an'  it 


384       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  RIVER  CANYON. 

was  all  we  could  do  to  git  him  down  ag'in. 
We  tuk  him  to  the  post,  but  he  must  have 
left  some  of  his  brains  somewhar  in  the  mes- 
quite  bushes ;  leastwise,  he  never  had  a  level 
head  on  his  shoulders  arterward,  an'  he  was 
discharged  from  the  service  fur  disability. 
But  we'll  do  the  best  we  know  how  fur  this 
friend  of  your'n,  an'  if  anybody  kin  bring 
him  around  all  right,  I  reckon  Mr.  Evans  is 
the  man.  Now,  Bob,  fire  away  I" 

There  was  no  need  that  the  boy  should  in- 
dulge in  flights  of  fancy  to  in  order  to  make 
his  auditors  understand  that  he  and  George 
Edwards  had  had  an  exceedingly  hard  time 
of  it,  but  he  could  not  help  growing  eloquent 
when  he  told  of  their  voyage  through  the 
dark  canyon  and  described  the  geyser  and  its 
eruptions. 

"  I  marked  every  ravine  we  passed  through," 
said  he,  in  conclusion,  "and  some  day  I  am 
going  to  take  an  exploring  party  back  there. 
But  first  I  am  going  to  make  the  country 
about  here  warm  for  somebody.  By-the-way, 
I  brought  a  piece  of  an  oar  down  the  hill 
with  me.  Have  any  of  you  seen  it?" 


"ALL'S  WELL  THAT  ENDS  WELL."  385 

"  We  tuk  keer  on  it,"  said  the  wagon-mas- 
ter, while  all  his  companions  scowled  and 
looked  very  savage  indeed.  "Do  you  know 
who  sawed  that  thar  oar  ?  It  was  Sam.  He 
done  it  kase  you  wouldn't  give  him  a  job,  an' 
your  cousin  knowed  he  was  goin'  to  do  it,  an' 
he  never  said  a  word.'' 

It  was  now  Bob's  turn  to  be  astonished, 
but  before  he  could  speak  the  wagon-master 
began  and  told  his  story,  winding  up  with  the 
words : 

"  They  wanted  Mr.  Evans  to  take  'em  to 
the  railroad  station  to  onct,  so  that  they 
could  go  back  East,  but  the  ole  man  wasn't 
fool  enough  to  do  it.  He  said  that  if  Arthur 
reckoned  he  could  come  here  to  Arizony  an' 
cut  up  sich  shines  as  them  an'  git  off  scot- 
free,  he  had  made  a  big  mistake ;  so  he  tuk 
'em  to  Camp  Clark  an'  give  'em  up  to  the 
United  States  Marshal.  I  tell  yer,  they  had 
to  run  for  it.  They  hadn't  more'n  got  inside 
the  lines  afore  the  boys  came  scootin'  down 
arter  'em.  If  the  post  had  been  five  miles 
further  off,  the  soldiers  couldn't  have  saved 


'em." 


25 


386       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  EIVER  CANYON. 

It  was  late  before  any  one  in  that  camp 
thought  of  his  blanket.  There  was  much  to 
talk  about,  a  thousand  and  one  questions  to 
be  asked  and  answered,  and  it  was  midnight 
before  the  wagon-master  told  Bob  that  he 
had  better  go  back  to  bed. 

Before  he  went,  he  took  a  look  at  George ; 
but,  as  the  latter  was  slumbering  peacefully, 
he  did  not  disturb  him. 

When  they  reached  Mr.  Evans'  ranch,  two 
days  later,  the  scenes  we  have  just  described 
were  re-enacted.  The  same  surprise  and  joy 
were  expressed  over  their  unexpected  return, 
the  same  stories  were  told  on  both  sides,  and 
the  same  questions  asked  and  answered. 

George  had  by  this  time  so  far  recovered 
that  he  was  able  to  sit  up  and  put  in  a  word 
now  and  then,  to  help  Bob  on  with  his  nar- 
rative ;  but  he  was  very  nervous,  easily 
frightened,  and  so  Mr.  Evans  put  him  to  bed 
and  left  him  there  under  his  wife's  care, 
while  he  and  Bob  rode  down  to  the  valley. 

We  shall  not  attempt  to  describe  the  meet- 
ing between  Bob  and  his  herdsmen,  for  we 
could  not  do  justice  to  it.  They  were  fright- 


"ALL'S  WELL  THAT  ENDS  WELL."  387 

ened  at  first,  and  some  of  them  were  more 
than  half  inclined  to  take  to  their  heels  at 
the  sight  of  him ;  but  when  they  found  that 
it  was  really  Bob,  and  not  his  ghost,  who  had 
come  back  to  them,  they  broke  out  into  the 
wildest  kind  of  Indian  yells,  and  made  the 
most  extravagant  demonstrations  of  delight. 

Affairs  moved  smoothly  at  the  ranch  after 
that. 

Bob  refused  to  appear  against  his  cousin, 
and  so  did  Ike,  who  did  it  simply  because  he 
knew  his  young  employer  desired  it.  Conse- 
quently, Arthur  was  discharged  from  custody, 
and  he  and  his  father  made  all  haste  to  shake 
the  dust  of  that  Western  country  from  off 
their  feet.  Bob  does  not  know  where  they 
are  now. 

George  Edwards  did  not  leave  any  of  his 
brains  behind  him  in  the  mesquite  bushes. 
He  gained  health  and  strength  rapidly  under 
Mrs.  Evans'  skillful  nursing,  and  he  is  to-day 
as  good  a  boy,  both  physically  and  mentally, 
as  he  ever  was. 

Bob  expects,  next  summer,  to  act  as  guide 
to  a  party  of  scientific  men,  who  have  ex- 


388       THE  MYSTERY  OF  LOST  RIVER  CANYON. 

pressed  a  desire  to  have  a  look  at  that  geyser. 
"We  should  like  much  to  accompany  them, 
for  they  will  be  sure  to  hear  some  thrilling 
stories  of  that  wonderful  ride  in  the  dark, 
which  resulted  in  solving  the  Mystery  of  Lost 
River  Canyon. 


THE   END. 


THE 

FAMOUS 

CASTLEMON 

BOOKS. 

BY 

HARRY 
CASTLEMON. 


Specimen  Cover  ol  the  Gunboat 
Series. 

No  author  of  the  present  day  has  become  a  greater  favorite  with  boys  than 
"Harry  Castlemon;  "  every  book  by  him  is  sure  to  meet  with  hearty  re- 
ception by  young  readers  generally.  H.s  naturalness  and  vivacity  lead  his 
readers  from  page  to  page  with  breathless  interest,  and  when  one  volume  is 
finished  the  fascinated  reader,  like  Oliver  Twist,  asks  "  for  more." 

*»*Any  volume  sold  separately. 


GUNBOAT  SERIES.  By  Harry  Castlemon.  6 
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Prank,  the  Young  Naturalist i  25 

Prank  in  the  Woods I  25 

Frank  on  the  Prairie I  25 

Prank  on  a  Gunboat I  25 

Frank  before  Vicksburg I  25 

Frank  on  the  Lower  Mississippi i  25 


2  HENRY   T.    COATES    &    CO.'S    POPULAR   JUVENILES. 

GO  AHEAD  SERIES.  By  Harry  Castlemon.  3 
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Go  Ahead;  or.  The  Fisher  Boy's  Motto I  25 

No  Moss;  or,  The  Career  of  a  Rolling  Stone  ....  I  25 
Tom  Newcombe  ;  or,  The  Boy  of  Bad  Habits  .  .  I  25 

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Prank  at  Don  Carlos'  Rancho i  25 

Prank  among  the  Rancheros i  25 

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extra,  printed  in  colors.  In  box $3  75 

The  Sportsman's  Club  in  the  Saddle  ....      i  25 

The  Sportsman's  Club  Afloat i  25 

The  Sportsman's  Club  among  the  Trappers  .      i  25 

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Snowed  Up  ;  or,  The  Sportsman's  Club  in  the  Mts.  .      i  25 

Frank  Nelson  in  the  Forecastle  ;  or,  The  Sports- 
man's Club  among  the  Whalers i  25 

The  Boy  Traders ;  or,  The  Sportsman's  Club  among 

the  Boers i  25 

BOY  TRAPPER  SERIES.  By  Harry  Castlemon. 
3  vols.,  I2mo.  Fully  illustrated.  Cloth,  extra,  printed 
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The  Buried  Treasure;  or,  Old  Jordan's  "Haunt"  i  25 
The  Boy  Trapper ;  or,  How  Dave  Filled  the  Order .  i  25 
The  Mail  Carrier i  25 


HENRY   T.    COATES    &    CO.'S    POPULAR   JUVENILES.  3 

ROtTGHING  IT  SERIES.  By  Harry  Castlemon. 
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George  in  Camp  ;  or,  Life  on  the  Plains I  25 

George  at  the  Wheel ;  or,  Life  in  a  ?ilot  House  .      i  25 
George  at  the  Fort ;  or,  Life  Among  the  Soldiers  .      I  25 

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3  vols.,  12010.  Fully  illustrated.  Cloth,  extra}  printed 
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Don  Gordon's  Shooting  Box i  25 

Rod  and  Gun ,   .   .   .      i  25 

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FOREST  AND  STREAM  SERIES.     Ity  Harry 

Castlemon.     3  vols.,  I2mo.     Fully  illustrated.     Cloth, 
extra,  printed  in  colors.     In  box $3  75 

Joe  Wayring  at  Home  ;  or,  Story  of  a  Fly  Rod    .      i  25 

Snagged  and  Sunk  ;  or,  The  Adventures  of  a  Can- 
vas Carioe *  25 

Steel  Horse ;  or,  The  Rambles  of  a  Bicycle  ....      i  25 

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True  to  his  Colors i  25 

Rodney,  the  Partisan i  25 

Marcy,  the  Blockade  Runner i  25 

Marcy,  the  Refugee i  25 

OUR  FELLOWS ;  or,  Skirmishes  with  the  Swamp 
Dragoons.  By  Harry  Castlemon.  i6mo.  Fully  illus- 
trated. Cloth,  extra I  25 


ALGER'S 

RENOWNED 

BOOKS. 

BY 

HORATIO 
ALGER,  JR. 


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Ragged  Dick  ;  or,  Street  Life  in  New  York    ... 


I  25 


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Hunter  .................... 

Mark,  the  Match  Boy  ;  or,  Richard  Hunter's  Ward 

Rough  and  Ready  ;  or,  Life  among  the  New  York 
Newsboys  .................. 

Ben,  the  Luggage  Boy  ;  or,  Among  the  Wharves    . 

Rufus  and  Rose  ;  or,  the  Fortunes  of  Rough  and 
Ready  .................... 

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I  25 
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Tattered  Tom  ;  or,  The  Story  of  a  Street  Arab      .    .  I  25 

Paul,  the  Peddler;  or,  The  Adventures  of  a  Young 

Street  Merchant I  25 

Phil,  the  Fiddler;  or,  The  Young  Street  Musician   .  I  25 

Slow  and  Sure ;  or,  From  the  Sidewalk  to  the  Shop  I  25 

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Jalius ;  or  the  Street  Boy  Out  West I  25 

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The  Telegraph  Boy I  25 

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Strong  and  Steady  ;  or,  Paddle  Your  Own  Canoe  .  I  25 

Strive  and   Succeed ;   or,  The  Progress  of  Walter 

Conrad I  25 

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Try  and  Trust ;  or,  The  Story  of  a  Bound  Boy  ...  i  25 

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Paul  Prescott's  Charge i  25 

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6  HENRY   T.    COAXES   &   CO.'S    POPULAR   JUVENILES. 

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Jack's  Ward ;  or,  The  Boy  Guardian i  25 

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tunes    i  25 

Wait  and  Hope  ;  or,  Ben  Bradford's  Motto   ....       I  25 

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The   Young  Adventurer;  or,  Tom's  Trip  Across 

the  Flairs I   25 

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Ben's  Nugget ;  or,  A  Boy's  Search  for  Fortune.     A 

Story  of  the  Pacific  Coast I  25 

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The    Young   Circus   Rider;   or,  The   Mystery  of 

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Helping  Himself ;  or,  Grant  Thornton's  Ambition  .  I  25 

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Bob  Burton 12$ 

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Illustrated  1 2mo.     Clcth,  black,  red  and  gold      ...       I  25 


A 

New  Series 
of  Books. 

Indian  Life 

and 

Character 

Founded  on 

Historical 

Facts. 


Specimen  Cover  ot  the  Wyoming 
Series. 


By  Edward  S.  Ellis. 

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DEERFOOT  SERIES.  By  Edward  S.  Ellis.  In 
box  containing  the  following.  3  vols.,  I2mo.  Illus- 
trated   '  '  .  .  . 

Hunters  of  the  Ozark 

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The  Last  War  Trail 

C.OG  CABIN  SERIES.  By  Edward  S.  Ellis. 
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in  colors.  In  box 

(7) 


$3  75 
i  25 

i  25 
i  25 

#3  75 
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75 


8  HENRY   T.    COATES   &   CO.'S   POPULAR    JUVENILES. 

Lost  Trail $i  25 

Camp  Fire  and  Wigwam i  25 

Footprints  in  the  Forest i  25 

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"Wyoming i  25 

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NEW  BOOKS  BY  EDWARD  S.  ELLIS. 

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By  C.  A.  Stephens. 


Rare  books  for  boys— bright,  breezy,  wholesome  and  instructive  ;  full  of 
adventure  and  incident,  and  informal!  n  upon  natural  history.  They  blend 
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CAMPING  OUT  SERIES.  By  C.  A.  Stephens. 
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Off  to  the  Geysers  ;  or,  The  Young  Yachters  in  Ice- 
land. As  recorded  by  *' Wade  ' I  25 

Lynx  Hunting.  From  Notes  by  the  author  of 

"  Camping  Out " i  25 

Fox  Hunting.    As  recorded  by  "  Raed  " 125 

On  the  Amazon  ;  or,  The  Cruise  of  the  "  Rambler." 
As  recorded  by  "  Wash  " i  25 


By  J.  T.  Trowbridge. 

These  Ftories  •will  rank  among  the  best  of  Mr.  Tnwbridge's  books  for  the 
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JACK  HAZARD  SERIES.  By  J.  T.  Trowbridge. 
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HENRY  T.    COATES   &    CO.'S   POPULAR    JUVENILES.  9 

Jack  Hazard  and  His  Fortunes $i  25 

A  Chance  for  Himself;  or,  Jack  Hazard  and  his 

Treasure i  25 

Doing  His  Best i  25 

Fast  Friends i  25 

The  Young  Surveyor  ;  or,  Jack  on  the  Prairies    .  i  25 
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The  "  BELLS  ''  Series  has  been  undertaken  by  the  publishers  with  a  view 
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Small  410 $i  50 

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GEMS  FROM  TENNYSON. 

By  ALFRED  TENNYSON.    Elegantly  illustrated  by  Hammatt  Billings. 

BEAUTIES  OF  TENNYSON. 

By  ALFRED  TENNYSON.  Elegantly  illustrated  with  twenty  engravings,  from 
original  drawings  by  Frederic  B.  Schell.  Beautifully  printed  on  the  finest 
plate  paper. 

FROM  GREENLAND'S  ICY  MOUNTAINS. 

By  BISHOP  HEBER.  Elfgantly  illustrated  with  twenty-two  engravings, from 
original  drawings  by  Frederic  B.  Schell.  Beautifully  printed  on  the  finest 
plate  paper. 

LADY  CLARE. 

By  ALFRED  TENNYSON.  Elegantly  illustrated  with  twenty-two  engravings, 
from  original  drawings  by  Alfred  Fredericks,  F.  S.  Church,  Harry  Fenn, 
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the  finest  plate  paper. 

THE  NIGHT  BEFORE  CHRISTMAS. 

By  CLEMENT  C.  MOORB.  Never  before  has  this  popular  poem — a  favorite 
with  both  the  old  and  the  young — been  presented  in  such  a  beautiful  dress. 
It  is  elegantly  illustrated  with  twenty-two  engravings,  from  original  draw- 
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BINGEN  ON  THE  RHINE. 

By  CAROLINE  E.  NORTON.  Elegantly  illustrated  with  twenty-two  en- 
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THE  BELLS. 

By  EDGAR  ALLAN  POE.  Elegantly  illustrated  with  twenty-two  engravings, 
from  original  drawings  by  F.  O.  C.  Darley,  A.  Fredericks,  Granville 
Perkins  and  others. 

THE  DESERTED  VILLAGE. 

By  OLIVER  GOLDSMITH.  Elegantly  illustrated  with  thirty-five  engravings, 
from  drawings  by  Hammatt  Billings. 

THE  COTTER'S  SATURDAY  NIGHT. 

By  ROBERT  BURNS.  Elegantly  illustrated  with  fifty  engravings,  from  draw- 
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{^'stories. 


History  of  England,  from  the  Accession  of 
James  the  Second.  By  Thomas  Babington 
Macaulay.  Standard  edition.  With  a  steel  portrait 
of  the  author  Printed  from  new  electrotype  plates 
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correct  edition  in  the  American  market.  5  vols., 

I2mo.     Cloth,  extra,  per  set $5  oo 

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History  of  the  Decline  and  Fall  of  the  Roman 
Empire.  By  Edward  Gibbon.  With  notes  by  Rev. 
H.  H.  Milman.  Standard  edition.  To  which  is 
added  a  complete  Index  of  the  work.  A  new  edition 
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steel.     5  vols.,  I2mo.     Cloth,  extra,  per  set 5  oo 

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History  of  England,  from  the  Invasion  of 
Julius  Caesar  to  the  Abdication  of  James 
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A  Dictionary  of  the  Bible.  Comprising  its  An- 
tiquities, Biography,  Geography,  Natural  History  and 
Literature.  Edited  by  William  Smith,  LL.D.  Re- 
vised and  adapted  to  the  present  use  of  Sunday  school 
Teachers  and  Bible  Students  by  Revs.  F.  N.  and 
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engravings  on  wood.     8vo.     Cloth,  extra $2  oo 

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History  of  the  Civil  War  in  America.     By  the 

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author.  With  maps  faithfully  engraved  from  the  origi- 
nals, and  printed  in  three  colors.  8vo. 

Cloth,  extra,  per  vol 35° 

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Volumes  I,  II,  III  and  IV  now  ready,  put  up  in  a  neat 
box,  or  any  volume  sold  separately. 

The  Battle  of  Gettysburg.     By  the  Comte  de  Paris. 

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Comprehensive  Biographical  Dictionary.  Em- 
bracing accounts  of  the  most  eminent  persons  of  all 
ages,  nations  and  professions.  By  E.  A.  Thomas. 
Crown  8vo. 

Cloth,  extra,  gilt  top 2  50 

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The  Amateur  Photographer.  A  manual  of  photo- 
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apparatus  and  of  processes.  By  Ellerslie  Wallace, 
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13 


